Microelectronic Package Having Stub Minimization Using Symmetrically-Positioned Duplicate Sets of Terminals for Wirebond Assemblies Without Windows

ABSTRACT

A microelectronic assembly can include a microelectronic package connected with a circuit panel. The package has a microelectronic element having a front face facing away from a substrate of the package, and electrically connected with the substrate through conductive structure extending above the front face. First terminals provided in first and second parallel grids or in first and second individual columns can be configured to carry address information usable to determine an addressable memory location from among all the available addressable memory locations of the memory storage array. The first terminals in the first grid can have signal assignments which are a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals in the second grid.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/348,238, filed Nov. 10, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/069,131, filed Mar. 14, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No.9,496,243, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/186,380, filed Feb. 21, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,287,195, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/440,280, filed Apr.5, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,659,141, which claims the benefit of thefiling date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/600,527, filed Feb.17, 2012, and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Nos. 61/542,488, 61/542,495, and 61/542,553, all filed Oct.3, 2011, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of the present application relates to microelectronicpackages and assemblies incorporating microelectronic packages.

Semiconductor chips are commonly provided as individual, prepackagedunits. A standard chip has a flat, rectangular body with a large frontface having contacts connected to the internal circuitry of the chip.Each individual chip typically is contained in a package having externalterminals connected to the contacts of the chip. In turn, the terminals,i.e., the external connection points of the package, are configured toelectrically connect to a circuit panel, such as a printed circuitboard. In many conventional designs, the chip package occupies an areaof the circuit panel considerably larger than the area of the chipitself. As used in this disclosure with reference to a flat chip havinga front face, the “area of the chip” should be understood as referringto the area of the front face.

Size is a significant consideration in any physical arrangement ofchips. The demand for more compact physical arrangements of chips hasbecome even more intense with the rapid progress of portable electronicdevices. Merely by way of example, devices commonly referred to as“smart phones” integrate the functions of a cellular telephone withpowerful data processors, memory and ancillary devices such as globalpositioning system receivers, electronic cameras, and local area networkconnections along with high-resolution displays and associated imageprocessing chips. Such devices can provide capabilities such as fullinternet connectivity, entertainment including full-resolution video,navigation, electronic banking and more, all in a pocket-size device.Complex portable devices require packing numerous chips into a smallspace. Moreover, some of the chips have many input and outputconnections, commonly referred to as “I/Os.” These I/Os must beinterconnected with the I/Os of other chips. The components which formthe interconnections should not greatly increase the size of theassembly. Similar needs arise in other applications as, for example, indata servers such as those used in internet search engines whereincreased performance and size reduction are needed.

Semiconductor chips containing memory storage arrays, particularlydynamic random access memory chips (DRAMs) and flash memory chips arecommonly packaged in single- or multiple-chip packages and assemblies.Each package has many electrical connections for carrying signals, powerand ground between terminals and the chips therein. The electricalconnections can include different kinds of conductors such as horizontalconductors, e.g., traces, beam leads, etc., which extend in a horizontaldirection relative to a contact-bearing surface of a chip, verticalconductors such as vias, which extend in a vertical direction relativeto the surface of the chip, and wire bonds which extend in bothhorizontal and vertical directions relative to the surface of the chip.

Conventional microelectronic packages can incorporate a microelectronicelement which is configured to predominantly provide memory storagearray function, i.e., a microelectronic element that embodies a greaternumber of active devices to provide memory storage array function thanany other function. The microelectronic element may be or include a DRAMchip, or a stacked electrically interconnected assembly of suchsemiconductor chips. Typically, all of the terminals of such package areplaced in sets of columns adjacent to one or more peripheral edges of apackage substrate to which the microelectronic element is mounted. Forexample, in one conventional microelectronic package 12 seen in FIG. 1,three columns 14 of terminals can be disposed adjacent a firstperipheral edge 16 of the package substrate 20 and three other columns18 of terminals can be disposed adjacent a second peripheral edge 22 ofthe package substrate 20. A central region 24 of the package substrate20 in the conventional package does not have any columns of terminals.FIG. 1 further shows a semiconductor chip 11 within the package havingelement contacts 26 on a face 28 thereof which are electricallyinterconnected with the columns 14, 18 of terminals of the package 12through wire bonds 30 extending through an aperture, e.g., bond window,in the central region 24 of package substrate 20. In some cases, anadhesive layer 32 may be disposed between the face 28 of themicroelectronic element 11 and the substrate 20 to reinforce themechanical connection between the microelectronic element and thesubstrate, with the wire bonds extending through an opening in theadhesive layer 32.

In light of the foregoing, certain improvements in the positioning ofterminals on microelectronic packages can be made in order to improveelectrical performance, particularly in assemblies which include suchpackages and a circuit panel to which such packages can be mounted andelectrically interconnected with one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a microelectronicpackage can include a substrate having a first surface with a pluralityof substrate contacts thereon, and a second surface is opposite thefirst surface. A microelectronic element has a rear face facing thefirst surface, a front face facing away from the first surface, andfirst and second opposed edges extending between the front and rearsurfaces. Each of the first and second edges may extend in a firstdirection parallel to the front face. At least one column of elementcontacts extends in the first direction along the front face. The firstand second edges define an axial plane extending in the first directionand also in a third direction normal to the face of the microelectronicelement, the axial plane being centered relative to the first and secondedges.

In such package, in one example, conductive structure such as wire bondsextends above the front face and beyond at least one of the first orsecond edges, the conductive structure electrically connecting theelement contacts with the substrate contacts.

In one embodiment, terminals of the package include first terminalswhich are disposed at a central region of the second surface of thesubstrate. The central region may be such that it is not wider thanthree and one-half times a minimum pitch between adjacent ones ofparallel columns of the terminals. The central region of the surface ofthe substrate is located such that the axial plane intersects thecentral region.

In certain embodiments of the invention, these first terminals in thecentral region are configured to carry address information usable bycircuitry within the package to determine an addressable memory locationfrom among all the available addressable memory locations of a memorystorage array within the microelectronic element. In a particularembodiment, the first terminals can be configured to carry all of theaddress information usable to determine such addressable memory locationfrom available addressable memory locations of such memory storagearray. In other embodiments, the first terminals can be configured tocarry a majority of the address information or in a particular case, atleast three quarters of the address information.

In one example, the first terminals can be configured to receive theaddress information transmitted thereto as a plurality of states orchanges in state on respective terminals of the microelectronic package.In another example, the first terminals can be configured to receive theaddress information encoded as a plurality of states or changes in stateon one or on a combination of the first terminals. In a particularembodiment, the first terminals can be configured to carry informationthat controls an operating mode of the microelectronic element. As inthe case of the address information, such information can be encoded asa plurality of states or changes in state on one or on a plurality ofterminals.

In a particular embodiment, the first terminals can be configured tocarry all of a group of command signals, address signals, bank addresssignals and clock signals transferred to the microelectronic package ona “command-address bus” of a circuit panel. The command signals in suchcase may be among or may be restricted to the following: command signalssuch as write enable, row address strobe, and column address strobe, andthe clock signals are sampling clocks used for sampling the addresssignals. While the clock signals can be of various types, in oneembodiment, the clock signals carried by these terminals can be one ormore pairs of differential clock signals transmitted as differentialclock signals or as true and complement clock signals.

The signals of the command-address bus can be bussed on a circuit panelsuch as a printed circuit board or module card to multiplemicroelectronic packages in parallel, particularly to first and secondmicroelectronic packages mounted to opposite surfaces of the circuitpanel. For certain embodiments herein, by placing terminals which carrythe address information, or in a particular example, command-address bussignals, in the central region of the package surface, rather than inperipheral regions near the edges of the microelectronic package, it ispossible to reduce the lengths of stubs used to carry signals from thecommand-address bus 36 (FIG. 2) on the circuit panel to the individualconnection sites on the surfaces of the circuit panel wheremicroelectronic packages are electrically connected. Reducing thelengths of stubs can improve electrical performance in such assembly byreducing one or more of settling time, ringing, jitter, and intersymbolinterference, among others of the signals conducted on the stubs to thepackages.

In some embodiments, the microelectronic package may have no more thanfour columns of terminals in the central region configured to carry allof the command signals, address signals, bank address signals and clocksignals as described above. In certain embodiments, there may be onlytwo columns of such terminals. In other embodiments there may only beone column of such terminals.

The microelectronic package may have second terminals other than theabove-described command-address bus signal terminals, such secondterminals being disposed in one or more of the peripheral regions andbeing configured to carry data signals. For example, the secondterminals can include terminals used for carrying uni-directional orbi-directional data signals to and or from the microelectronic element,and data strobe signals, as well as data masks and ODT or “on dietermination” signals used to turn on or off parallel terminations totermination resistors. It is possible in some embodiments for some orall terminals which are configured to carry signals other than thecommand-address bus signals to also be disposed in the central region ofthe package surface. Signals or reference potentials such as chipselect, reset, power supply voltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, or ground, e.g.,Vss and Vssq, can be carried by the second terminals, or may in somecases be carried by the first terminals.

In some embodiments, a microelectronic element may include a firstsemiconductor chip mounted adjacent the substrate and electricallyconnected thereto, and one or more second semiconductor chips overlyingthe first semiconductor chip and electrically connected therewith, inwhich the second semiconductor chips embody a greater number of activedevices configured to provide memory storage array function than anyother function.

A microelectronic assembly according to an aspect of the invention caninclude a circuit panel having first and second opposed surfaces andfirst and second panel contacts at the first and second surfaces,respectively, and first and second microelectronic packages each havingterminals mounted to the respective panel contacts. In such assembly,each microelectronic package can include a substrate having first andsecond opposed surfaces, the first surface having substrate contactsthereon; and a microelectronic element embodying a greater number ofactive devices to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction. The microelectronic element can have a rear face facing thefirst surface, a front face opposite the rear face, and contacts on thefront face electrically connected with the substrate contacts throughconductive structure extending above the front face. A plurality ofterminals on the second surface can be configured for connecting themicroelectronic package with at least one component external to thepackage. The terminals can be electrically connected with the substratecontacts and include first terminals disposed at locations within firstand second parallel grids. Each of the first and second grids can beconfigured to carry address information usable by circuitry within thepackage to determine an addressable memory location from among all theavailable addressable memory locations of a memory storage array withinthe microelectronic element. Signal assignments of the first terminalsin the first grid can be a mirror image of the signal assignments of thefirst terminals in the second grid.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carry all ofthe address information usable by the circuitry within the respectivemicroelectronic package to determine the addressable memory location.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carryinformation that controls an operating mode the microelectronic elementof the respective microelectronic package.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carry all ofthe command signals transferred to the respective microelectronicpackage, the command signals being write enable, row address strobe, andcolumn address strobe signals.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carry clocksignals transferred to the respective microelectronic package, the clocksignals including clocks used for sampling signals carrying the addressinformation.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carry all ofthe bank address signals transferred to the respective microelectronicpackage.

In one example, the first terminals in the second grid of the firstpackage can be connected through the circuit panel to the firstterminals in the first grid of the second package. The first terminalsof the second grid of the first package can be aligned within one ballpitch of the corresponding first terminals to which they are connectedof the first grid on the second package in x and y orthogonal directionsparallel to the first and second circuit panel surfaces.

In one example, the grids can be aligned with one another in the x and yorthogonal directions such that the terminals of the grids can becoincident with one another.

In one example, each position of each grid can be occupied by one of theterminals.

In one example, at least one position of each grid may not be occupiedby a terminal.

In one example, the grids of the first and second microelectronicpackages can be functionally and mechanically matched.

In one example, a length of a stub of at least one of electricalconnections between one of the first terminals of the firstmicroelectronic package and a corresponding one of the first terminalsof the second microelectronic package can be less than seven times aminimum pitch of the first terminals of each of the microelectronicpackages.

In one example, at least some of the electrical connections through thecircuit panel between the first terminals of the first and secondmicroelectronic packages can have an electrical length of approximatelya thickness of the circuit panel.

In one example, the total combined length of the conductive elementsconnecting a pair of electrically coupled first and second panelcontacts exposed at the first and second surfaces of the circuit panelcan be less than seven times a smallest pitch of the panel contacts.

In one example, the circuit panel can include a bus having a pluralityof conductors configured to carry all of the address informationtransferred to each of the microelectronic packages. The conductors mayextend in a first direction parallel to the first and second surfaces.

In one example, the first terminals can be disposed within an individualcolumn in each of the first and second grids. The circuit panel mayinclude no more than one routing layer for global routing of all of theaddress information between a connection site on the circuit panel atwhich the first terminals of the first and second packages can beelectrically connected and a different connection site on the circuitpanel at which the first terminals of at least a third microelectronicpackage can be electrically connected.

In one example, each of the first and second grids of first terminals ofeach microelectronic package can have two parallel columns, and whereinthe circuit panel includes no more than two routing layers for globalrouting of all of the address information between respective connectionsites on the circuit panel at which the terminals of one or more of themicroelectronic packages can be electrically connected.

In one example, there may be no more than one routing layer for globalrouting of all of the address information between a connection site onthe circuit panel at which the first terminals of the first and secondpackages can be electrically connected and a different connection siteon the circuit panel at which the first terminals of at least a thirdmicroelectronic package can be electrically connected.

In one example, each microelectronic package can include a bufferelement electrically connected to at least some of the respectiveterminals and the microelectronic element in the respectivemicroelectronic package. Each buffer element can be configured to atleast one of: regenerate, or at least partially decode at least onesignal received at one or more of the terminals of the respectivemicroelectronic package for transfer to the microelectronic element.

In one example, the microelectronic element of each microelectronicpackage can be a first microelectronic element, and each of themicroelectronic packages may further include a second microelectronicelement having a rear face facing the substrate and a front facingopposite the rear face, a plurality of element contacts on the frontface being electrically connected with the substrate contacts throughconductive structure extending above the front face. The secondmicroelectronic element can embody a greater number of active devices toprovide memory storage array function than any other function. In suchexample, the first terminals of each of the first and second grids ofeach microelectronic package can be configured to carry addressinformation usable by circuitry within the respective microelectronicpackage to determine an addressable memory location from among all theavailable addressable memory locations of a memory storage array withinthe first and second microelectronic elements of the respectivemicroelectronic package.

According to an aspect of the invention, a microelectronic assembly caninclude a microelectronic package and a circuit panel electricallyconnected with the microelectronic package. In such example,microelectronic package can include: a substrate having first and secondopposed surfaces, the first surface having substrate contacts thereon;and a microelectronic element embodying a greater number of activedevices to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction. The microelectronic element can have a rear face facing thefirst surface, a front face opposite the rear face, and contacts on thefront face electrically connected with the substrate contacts throughconductive structure extending above the front face. A plurality ofterminals on the second surface can be configured for connecting themicroelectronic package with the circuit panel. The terminals can beelectrically connected with the substrate contacts and include firstterminals disposed at locations within first and second parallel grids.Each of the first and second grids may be configured to carry addressinformation usable by circuitry within the package to determine anaddressable memory location from among all the available addressablememory locations of a memory storage array within the microelectronicelement. Signal assignments of the first terminals in the first grid canbe a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals inthe second grid.

In one example, the system may further include a housing, themicroelectronic assembly and the one or more other electronic componentsbeing assembled with the housing.

In one example, the microelectronic assembly can be a firstmicroelectronic assembly, and the system may further include a secondsuch microelectronic assembly.

In one example, each microelectronic assembly can be mounted to, andelectrically connected with a second circuit panel for transport ofsignals to and from each microelectronic assembly.

A microelectronic assembly according to an aspect of the invention caninclude a circuit panel having first and second opposed surfaces andfirst and second panel contacts at the first and second surfaces,respectively, and first and second microelectronic packages each havingterminals mounted to the respective panel contacts. In such assembly,each microelectronic package can include a substrate having first andsecond opposed surfaces, the first surface having substrate contactsthereon; and a microelectronic element embodying a greater number ofactive devices to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction. The microelectronic element can have a rear face facing thefirst surface, a front face opposite the rear face, and contacts on thefront face electrically connected with the substrate contacts throughconductive structure extending above the front face. A plurality ofterminals on the second surface can be configured for connecting themicroelectronic package with at least one component external to thepackage. The terminals can be electrically connected with the substratecontacts and include first terminals disposed at locations within firstand second parallel grids. The first terminals in each of the first andsecond grids can be configured to carry a majority of addressinformation usable by circuitry within the package to determine anaddressable memory location from among all the available addressablememory locations of a memory storage array within the microelectronicelement. Signal assignments of the first terminals in the first grid canbe a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals inthe second grid.

In one example, the first terminals of each of the first and secondgrids of each microelectronic package can be configured to carry atleast three-quarters of the address information usable by the circuitrywithin the respective microelectronic package to determine theaddressable memory location.

A microelectronic assembly according to another aspect of the inventioncan include a circuit panel having first and second opposed surfaces andfirst and second panel contacts at the first and second surfaces,respectively, and first and second microelectronic packages each havingterminals mounted to the respective panel contacts. In such assembly,each microelectronic package can include a substrate having first andsecond opposed surfaces, the first surface having substrate contactsthereon; and a microelectronic element embodying a greater number ofactive devices to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction. The microelectronic element can have a rear face facing thefirst surface, a front face opposite the rear face, and contacts on thefront face electrically connected with the substrate contacts throughconductive structure extending above the front face. A plurality ofterminals on the second surface can be configured for connecting themicroelectronic package with at least one component external to thepackage. The terminals can be electrically connected with the substratecontacts and include a first set of first terminals arranged in a firstindividual column and second set of the first terminals arranged in asecond individual column. The first terminals of each of the first andsecond individual columns can be configured to carry address informationusable by circuitry within the microelectronic package to determine anaddressable memory location from among all the available addressablememory locations of a memory storage array within the microelectronicelement. Signal assignments of the first terminals in the first columncan be symmetric about an axis extending between the first and secondcolumns with respect to the signal assignments of the first terminals inthe second column.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional microelectronicpackage.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a microelectronicassembly referred to herein.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic assemblyreferred to herein.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrical interconnectionbetween a pair of microelectronic packages in an assembly as seen inFIG. 3.

FIG. 5A is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of terminals on amicroelectronic package according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a further plan view illustrating a possible arrangement ofterminals on a package such as seen in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are plan views illustrating various arrangements ofelement contacts on microelectronic elements incorporated in a packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7A is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7B is a schematic perspective view illustrating a microelectronicassembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15A is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15B is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view further illustrating a microelectronicpackage as seen in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a plan view further illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to an embodiment of the invention as seen in FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic assemblyincorporating first and second microelectronic packages such as seen inFIG. 16.

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate alternative terminal arrangements in amicroelectronic package according to an embodiment of the invention asseen in FIG. 16.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view illustrating a microelectronic packageaccording to a variation of the embodiment of the invention seen in FIG.16.

FIG. 23 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 24 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 25 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 26 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 27 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 28 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 29 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 30 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 31 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a system according toan embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In view of the illustrative conventional microelectronic package 12described relative to FIG. 1, the inventors have recognized improvementswhich can be made that may help improve the electrical performance of apackage incorporating a memory storage array chip, and an assembly whichincorporates such package.

Improvements can be made particularly for use of a microelectronicpackage when provided in an assembly such as shown in FIGS. 2-4, inwhich a package 12A is mounted to a surface of a circuit panel withanother like package 12B mounted opposite thereto on an opposite surfaceof the circuit panel. The packages 12A, 12B typically are functionallyand mechanically equivalent to one another. Other pairs 12C and 12D; and12E and 12F, of functionally and mechanically equivalent packagestypically can also be mounted to the same circuit panel 34. The circuitpanel and the packages assembled thereto may form a portion of anassembly commonly referred to as a dual in-line memory module (“DIMM”).The packages in each oppositely mounted pair of packages, e.g., packages12A, 12B, connect to contacts on opposite surfaces of the circuit panelso that the packages in each pair overlie one another typically by morethan 90% of their respective areas. Local wiring within the circuitpanel 34 connects terminals, e.g., the terminals labeled “1” and “5” oneach package to global wiring on the circuit panel. The global wiringincludes the signal conductors of a bus 36 used to conduct some signalsto connection sites on the circuit panel 34 such as connection sites I,II and III. For example, packages 12A, 12B are electrically connected tothe bus 36 by local wiring coupled to a connection site I, packages 12C,12D are electrically connected to the bus by local wiring coupled toconnection site II, and packages 12E, 12F are electrically connected tothe bus by local wiring coupled to connection site III.

The circuit panel 34 electrically interconnects the terminals of therespective packages 12A, 12B using local interconnect wiring thatappears similar to a crisscross or “shoelace” pattern in which aterminal labeled “1” near one edge 16 of package 12A connects throughthe circuit panel 34 to a terminal labeled “1” of package 12B near thesame edge 16 of package 12B. However, the edge 16 of package 12B asassembled to circuit panel 34 is far from the edge 16 of package 12A.FIGS. 2-4 further shows that a terminal labeled “5” near an edge 22 ofpackage 12A is connected through the circuit panel 34 to a terminallabeled “5” of package 12B near the same edge 22 of package 12B. Inassembly 38 the edge 22 of package 12A is far from the edge 22 ofpackage 12B.

Connections through the circuit panel between terminals on each package,e.g., package 12A, to the corresponding terminals on the package mountedopposite thereto, i.e., package 12B, are fairly long. As further seen inFIG. 3, in such assembly of like microelectronic packages 12A, 12B, thecircuit panel 34 may electrically interconnect a signal conductor of thebus 36 with the terminal of package 12A marked “1” and the correspondingterminal of package 12B marked “1”, when the same signal from the bus isto be transmitted to each package. Similarly, the circuit panel 34 mayelectrically interconnect another signal conductor of the bus 36 withthe terminal of package 12A marked “2” and the corresponding terminal ofpackage 12B marked “2”. The same can be true of the electricalconnection through circuit panel 34 of the terminals marked “3” of eachpackage 12A, 12B. The same connection arrangement may also apply toother signal conductors of the bus and corresponding terminals of eachpackage. Local wiring between the bus 36 on the circuit panel 34 andeach package of the respective pair of packages, e.g., packages 12A, 12B(FIG. 2) at a connection site I of the board can be in form ofunterminated stubs. Such local wiring when relatively long may in somecases impact the performance of the assembly 38 as discussed below.Moreover, the circuit panel 34 also requires local wiring toelectrically interconnect certain terminals of other packages: the pairof packages 12C and 12D, and the pair of packages 12E and 12F to theglobal wiring of the bus 36, and such wiring can also impact theperformance of the assembly in the same way.

FIG. 4 further illustrates the interconnection between microelectronicpackages 12A, 12B of respective pairs of terminals assigned to carrysignals “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, “6”, “7”, and “8”. As seen in FIG. 4,because the columns 14, 18 of terminals are near the edges 16, 22,respectively, of each package 12A, 12B, the wiring needed to traversethe circuit panel 34 in a direction 40 transverse to the direction 42 inwhich the columns 14, 18 of terminals extend can be quite long. Inrecognition that the length of a DRAM chip can be in the range of tenmillimeters on each side, the length of the local wiring in a circuitpanel 34 in an assembly 38 seen in FIGS. 2-4 that is required to routethe same signal to the corresponding terminals of two oppositely mountedpackages 12A, 12B can range up to five to ten millimeters in some cases,and may typically be about seven millimeters.

In some cases, the lengths of the circuit panel wiring required toconnect the terminals of such oppositely mounted microelectronicpackages may not severely impact the electrical performance of theassembly. However, when the signal carried by the connected pair ofterminals on the packages 12A, 12B is a signal from a bus 36 used tocarry address information or other information such as clock informationusable to sample address information which is common to operation of thememory storage array function of a plurality of packages connected tothe circuit panel, the inventors recognize that the wiring length of thestubs extending from the bus 36 to the terminals on each package maysignificantly affect performance. When the interconnecting wiring isrelatively long, a more severe impact occurs, which can increasesettling time, ringing, jitter, or intersymbol interference for atransmitted signal to an unacceptable degree.

In a particular embodiment, the bus 36 used to carry address informationcan be a command-address bus 36 configured to carry command information,address information, bank address information and clock information. Ina specific implementation, the command information can be transmitted ascommand signals on respective signal conductors on the circuit panel. Itis also possible for the address information to be transmitted asaddress signals on respective signal conductors, as it is also possiblefor the bank address information to be transmitted as bank addresssignals on respective signal conductors, and it is also possible for theclock information to be transmitted as clock signals on respectivesignal conductors. In a specific implementation of a microelectronicelement which has a memory storage array such as a DRAM chip, thecommand signals which can be carried by the bus 36 can be write enable,row address strobe and column address strobe, and the clock signalswhich can be carried by the bus 36 can be clock signals used at leastfor sampling address signals carried by the bus 36.

Accordingly, certain embodiments of the invention described hereinprovide a microelectronic package configured so as to permit the lengthsof stubs on a circuit panel to be reduced when first and second suchpackages are mounted opposite one another on opposite surfaces of acircuit panel, e.g., a circuit board, module board or card, or flexiblecircuit panel. Assemblies which incorporate first and secondmicroelectronic packages mounted opposite one another on a circuit panelcan have significantly reduced stub lengths between the respectivepackages. Reducing the stub lengths within such assemblies can improveelectrical performance, such as by reducing one or more of settlingtime, ringing, jitter, or intersymbol interference, among others.Moreover, it may be possible to obtain other benefits as well, such assimplifying the structure of the circuit panel or reducing thecomplexity and cost of designing or manufacturing the circuit panel, orfor both designing and manufacturing the circuit panel.

Thus, a microelectronic package 100 according to an embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 5A-C. As seen therein, the package 100can include a microelectronic element 101 configured to predominantlyprovide memory storage array function, in that the microelectronicelement has a greater number of active devices, e.g., transistors,configured to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction, as indicated above.

The microelectronic element has element contacts 111, 113 at a frontface 105 thereof which are electrically connected to respectivesubstrate contacts 121, 123 at a first surface 108 of the substrate 102.For example, wirebonds 112 may electrically connect the element contacts111, 113 with the substrate contacts 121, 123. Alternatively, othertypes of conductors, e.g., portions of a lead frame, flexible ribbonbonds, etc., may be used to electrically connect the element contacts111, 113 with the respective substrate contacts 121, 123, which in somecases may connect the element contacts 111, 113 with other conductiveelements disposed at a greater height from the substrate surface 108than the front face 105 of the microelectronic element 101. In one typeof such microelectronic element 101, each one of some contacts of theelement contacts 111, 113 may be configured to receive particularaddress information of the address information supplied to themicroelectronic element. In a particular embodiment, each of suchcontacts 111, 113 may be configured to receive a respective addresssignal of a plurality of address signals supplied to the microelectronicelement 101 from the outside the microelectronic element, i.e., throughwiring of the package such as wire bonds 112, and through terminals 104,106.

In one particular example of this type of microelectronic element 101,the address information present at the element contacts 111, 113 can besampled relative to an edge of a clock used by the respectivemicroelectronic element, i.e., upon on a transition of the clock betweenfirst and second different voltage states. That is, each address signalcan be sampled upon a rising transition between a lower voltage stateand a higher voltage state of the clock, or upon a falling transitionbetween a higher voltage state and a lower voltage state of the clock.Thus, the plurality of address signals may all be sampled upon therising transition of the clock, or such address signals may all besampled upon the falling transition of the clock, or in another example,the address signal at one of the element contacts 111, 113 can besampled upon the rising transition of the clock and the address signalat one other external contact can be sampled upon the falling transitionof the clock.

In another type of microelectronic element 101 configured topredominantly provide memory storage array function, one or more of theaddress contacts thereon can be used in a multiplexed manner. In thisexample, a particular element contact 111, 113 of the respectivemicroelectronic element 101 can receive two or more different signalssupplied to the microelectronic element from the outside. Thus, a firstaddress signal can be sampled at the particular contact 111, 113 upon afirst transition of the clock between the first and second differentvoltage states (e.g., a rising transition), and a signal other than thefirst address signal can be sampled at the particular contact upon asecond transition of the clock (e.g., a falling transition) between thefirst and second voltage states that is opposite the first transition.

In such a multiplexed manner, two different signals can be receivedwithin the same cycle of the clock on the same element contact 111, 113of the respective microelectronic element 101. In a particular case,multiplexing in this manner can allow a first address signal and adifferent signal to be received in the same clock cycle on the sameelement contact 111, 113 of the respective microelectronic element 101.In yet another example, multiplexing in this manner can allow a firstaddress signal and a second different address signal to be received inthe same clock cycle on the same element contact 111, 113 of therespective microelectronic element 101.

In some embodiments, the substrate 102 can include a sheet-like orboard-like dielectric element, which may consist essentially ofpolymeric material, e.g., a resin or polyimide, among others.Alternatively, the substrate can include a dielectric element having acomposite construction such as glass-reinforced epoxy, e.g., of BT resinor FR-4 construction. In some examples, the dielectric element has acoefficient of thermal expansion in the plane of the dielectric element,i.e., in a direction parallel to a first surface 108 thereof, of up to30 parts per million per degree Celsius (hereinafter, “ppm/° C.”). Inanother example, the substrate can include a supporting element ofmaterial having a coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”) of less than12 parts per million per degree Celsius, on which the terminals andother conductive structure are disposed. For example, such low CTEelement can consist essentially of glass, ceramic or semiconductormaterial or liquid crystal polymer material, or a combination of suchmaterials.

As seen in FIG. 5C, a first set 121 and a second set 123 of substratecontacts can be exposed at a first surface 108 of the substrate. Thefirst set 121 of substrate contacts can be electrically connected with acolumn 111 (FIG. 6A) of element contacts 132 of the microelectronicelement, such as through electrically conductive structure extendingabove the face 105 of the microelectronic element. For example, theconductive structure can be wire bonds 112. In some cases, a die attachadhesive may be disposed between a rear face 107 of the microelectronicelement and the surface 108 of the substrate 102, which may mechanicallyreinforce the connection between the microelectronic element and thesubstrate. The second set 123 of the substrate contacts can beelectrically connected with a column 113 (FIG. 6A) of element contacts132.

As further seen in FIG. 6A, an edge 170 of microelectronic element 130can extend in the first direction 142 and a column 111 of contacts 132adjacent to edge 170 can extend in the same first direction 142 alongthe face 105. Another edge 172 of microelectronic element 130, parallelto edge 170, extends in the first direction 142 and a second column 113of contacts 132 may extend in the same first direction 142 along theface 105 adjacent to edge 172. As further shown in FIG. 6A, a column ofcontacts on the microelectronic element can be fully populated as in thecase of column 111, or a column of contacts may have only have contactsat some of the positions within the column, as in the case of column113. Conductive structure such as wire bonds 112 (FIG. 5C) mayelectrically connect the contacts 111, 113 with corresponding contacts121, 123 on a first surface 108 of the substrate.

FIG. 6B illustrates a variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A inwhich contacts 132 of a microelectronic element 180 can disposed incolumns and rows adjacent to and aligned with respective peripheraledges 170, 172, 176, 178 of the microelectronic element 180. Edges 170,172 are parallel and extend in a first direction 142.

FIG. 6C illustrates another variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6Ain which the contacts of a microelectronic element 190 are disposed incolumns 188 and 189 adjacent to edges 170, 172 of the microelectronicelement. However, in this case, the microelectronic element 190 includesa semiconductor chip having a conductive redistribution layer thereon,and the contacts 132 can include columns 188, 189 of redistributioncontacts which are connected to the contacts 192, 194 of thesemiconductor chip by conductive traces, or metalized vias formed incontact with the contacts 192, 194 of the semiconductor chip (or whichcan be connected to the contacts 192 194 of the chip by both metalizedvias and traces). In this case, contacts 192, 194 may in some cases beconnected with active devices of the semiconductor chip through back endof line (“BEOL”) wiring of the semiconductor which may include vias orother electrically conductive structure and which may in some cases bedisposed underneath the contacts 192, 194.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 6A-C, in some embodiments, the contactsof the microelectronic element may be arranged in a single column asshown for contacts 192, or the contacts may be arranged in a pluralityof columns as shown for contacts 111, 113. Each column may contain acontact at each vertical layout position of the column along direction142, or a contact may be missing from one or more positions of a column,as in the case of one of the columns of contacts 113. In a particularembodiment, the contacts may be arranged in an area array over the face105 of the microelectronic element. In another example, the contacts ofa microelectronic element can be arranged in one or more sets ofcontacts adjacent one or more peripheral edges of the microelectronicelement indicated by the dashed lines marking the boundaries of themicroelectronic element in FIG. 5B. In a particular example, themicroelectronic element can be a single semiconductor chip and thecontacts 111, or 113 thereon may be “chip contacts” which are thecontacts of the semiconductor chip. In another example, as seen in FIG.6C, a particular microelectronic element 190 can include one or moresemiconductor chips each having chip contacts, and the contacts 111, or113 may include redistribution contacts which are formed on a face 105thereof, and which are electrically connected to the chip contacts byconductive elements such as traces and vias, for example. Unlessotherwise noted, the “contacts” of the microelectronic elements in eachof the examples herein can be arranged in any of these described ways.

The microelectronic element may also include additional contacts thatmay not be disposed within a column of the element contacts. Theseadditional contacts may be used for connection to power, ground, or ascontacts available for contact with a probing device, such as may beused for testing.

As seen in FIGS. 5C, the package 100 can have first terminals 104 andsecond terminals 106 for electrically and mechanically connecting thepackage 100 with a component external to the package 100, such as acircuit panel, for example. The terminals 104, 106 can be electricallyconductive pads, posts, or other electrically conductive structure. Inthe example seen in FIG. 5C, the terminals in some cases may includejoining elements 133, such as may include a bond metal such as solder,tin, indium, gold, or a eutectic material, among others, or otherconductive bond material, and may in some cases also include additionalstructure such as a conductive bump attached to conductive structure ofthe substrate such as conductive pads or posts. The first terminals 104and the second terminals 106 can be electrically connected with thesubstrate contacts 121, 123 through electrically conductive structure onthe substrate, such as traces and vias, for example.

A first set of the first terminals 104 can be arranged at positionswithin a first grid 114 at a second surface 110 of the substrate 102opposite from the first surface 108. A second set of the first terminals104 can be arranged at positions within a second grid 124 at the secondsurface 110 of the substrate. Although, in some of the figures, thefirst and second grids are shown extending beyond the outer boundariesof the front surface of the microelectronic elements, that need not bethe case. In certain embodiments of the invention, each of the first andsecond grids 114, 124 of first terminals can be configured to carry theabove-noted address information or, in a particular embodiment, certainsignals of the command-address bus.

For example, when the microelectronic element 101 includes or is a DRAMsemiconductor chip, each of the first and second grids 114, 124 isconfigured to carry address information transferred to themicroelectronic package 100 which is usable by circuitry within thepackage, e.g., row address and column address decoders, and bankselection circuitry, if present, to determine an addressable memorylocation from among all the available addressable memory locations of amemory storage array within a microelectronic element in the package. Ina particular embodiment, each of the first and second grids 114, 124 canbe configured to carry all the address information used by suchcircuitry within the microelectronic package 100 to determine anaddressable memory location within such memory storage array.

In a variation of such embodiment, the first terminals of each of thefirst and second grids 114, 124 can be configured to carry a majority ofthe address information that is used by such circuitry within themicroelectronic package 100 to determine an addressable memory locationwithin such memory storage array, and then other terminals such as atleast some of the above-referenced second terminals 106 on themicroelectronic package would then be configured to carry the remainingpart of the address information. In such variation, in a particularembodiment, the first terminals in each of the first and second grids114, 124 are configured to carry three-quarters or more of the addressinformation that is used by such circuitry within the microelectronicpackage 100 to determine an addressable memory location within suchmemory storage array.

In a particular embodiment, each of the first and second grids 114, 124may not be configured to carry chip select information, e.g.,information usable to select a particular chip within themicroelectronic package 100 for access to a memory storage locationwithin the chip. In another embodiment, at least one of the first andsecond grids 114, 124 may indeed carry chip select information.

Typically, when the microelectronic element 101 in the microelectronicpackage 100 is or includes a DRAM chip, the address information in oneembodiment can include all address information transferred to thepackage from a component external to the package, e.g., a circuit panelsuch as the circuit panel 154 (FIG. 7A) described below, which is usedfor determining a random access addressable memory location within themicroelectronic package for read access thereto, or for either read orwrite access thereto.

At least some of the second terminals 106 can be configured to carrysignals other than the address signals that are carried by the firstterminals 104 of the first and second grids 114, 124. In particularexamples, the second terminals 106 may carry one or more of data, datastrobe signals, or other signals or reference potentials such as chipselect, reset, power supply voltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, and ground, e.g.,Vss and Vssq. Some or all second terminals can be disposed at locationswithin the first and second grids 114, 124. In such case, some terminalsdisposed at locations within the first and second grids 114, 124 can beconfigured to carry one or more of data, data strobe signals, or othersignals or reference potentials such as chip select, reset, power supplyvoltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, and ground, e.g., Vss and Vssq. Someterminals disposed at locations within the third and fourth grids 116,126 can be configured to carry one or more of data, data strobe signals,or other signals or reference potentials such as chip select, reset,power supply voltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, and ground, e.g., Vss and Vssq.

In a particular embodiment, the first terminals of each of the first andsecond grids 114, 124 of each microelectronic package can be configuredto carry information that controls an operating mode of themicroelectronic element 101. More specifically, each of the first andsecond grids 114, 124 can be configured to carry all of a particular setof command signals and/or clock signals transferred to themicroelectronic package 100. In one embodiment, the first terminals 104can be configured to carry all of the command signals, address signals,bank address signals, and clock signals transferred to themicroelectronic package 100 from an external component, e.g., circuitpanel or other device, wherein the command signals include row addressstrobe, column address strobe and write enable.

In an embodiment in which one or more of the microelectronic elementsare configured to provide dynamic memory storage array function, such asprovided by a dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) semiconductor chip,or an assembly of DRAM chips, the command signals can be write enable,row address strobe, and column address strobe signals. Other signalssuch as ODT (on die termination), chip select, clock enable, may or maynot be carried by terminals disposed within the first and second grids114, 124. The clock signals can be clocks used by one or more of themicroelectronic elements for sampling the address signals. For example,in the microelectronic package of FIG. 7 and as further shown in FIG.5A, the first terminals 104 can be configured to carry clock signals CKand CKB, row address strobe RAS, column address strobe CAS and writeenable signals WE, as well as address signals A0 through A15 inclusive,and bank address signals BA0, BA1 and BA2.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C, at least some of thesecond terminals 106, which can be disposed at positions within thirdand fourth grids 116, 126, can be configured to carry signals other thanthe command signals, address signals, and clock signals that are carriedby the first terminals 104 of the first and second grids 114, 124.Signals or reference potentials such as chip select, reset, power supplyvoltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, and ground, e.g., Vss and Vssq, may or maynot be carried by the second terminals 106 in any of the embodimentsreferred to herein, unless otherwise noted.

In one embodiment, at least some of the second terminals 106 that areconfigured to carry signals other than the address signals can bearranged at positions within the first and second grids 114, 124. In oneexample, at least some of the second terminals 106 that are configuredto carry signals other than the command signals, address signals, andclock signals can be arranged at positions within the first and secondgrids 114, 124. Although particular configurations of second terminals106 are shown in the figures, the particular configurations shown arefor illustrative purposes and are not meant to be limiting. For example,the second terminals 106 can also include terminals that are configuredto be connected to power or ground signals.

An arrangement of the first terminals in the first and second grids 114,124 of the package is particularly shown in FIGS. 5A-C. In one example,each grid 114, 124 may include first and second parallel columns 136 ofterminals. The columns 136 of terminals in each grid can be adjacent toone other. Alternatively, although not shown in FIGS. 5A-C, at least oneterminal may be disposed between the first and second columns ofterminals. In another example, such as seen in FIG. 5B, the grids mayinclude a column of terminals for which a column axis 119 extendsthrough a majority of the terminals 104 of such column, i.e., iscentered relative thereto. However, in such column, one or more of theterminals might not be centered relative to the column axis 119, as inthe case of terminals 104′. In this case, these one or more terminalsare considered part of a particular column, even though such terminal(s)might not be centered relative to axis 119 because they are closer tothe axis 119 of that particular column than to the axis of any othercolumn. The column axis 119 may extend through these one or moreterminals which are not centered relative to the column axis, or, insome cases, the non-centered terminals may be farther from the columnaxis such that the column axis 119 may not even pass through thesenon-centered terminals of the column. There may be one, several or manyterminals in one column or even in more than one column which are notcentered with respect to a column axis of the respective column in agrid.

Moreover, it is possible for the grids of terminals to containarrangements of terminals in groupings other than columns, such as inarrangements shaped like rings, polygons or even scattered distributionsof terminals. As shown in FIG. 5C, an encapsulant 146 may overlie thefirst surface 108 of the substrate and may contact the microelectronicelement 101 therein. In some cases, the encapsulant may overlie a frontsurface 105 of the microelectronic element which faces away from thesubstrate 102.

As seen in FIG. 5A, the signal assignments of the first terminals in thesecond grid 124 are a mirror image of the signal assignments 124 of thefirst terminals in the first grid 114. Stated another way, the signalassignments of the first terminals in the first and second grids aresymmetric about an axis 131 between the first and second grids 114, 124,the axis 131 in this case extending in a direction 142 in which columns136 of the first terminals extend. With the signal assignments in thesecond grid 124 being a mirror image of those in the first grid 114, afirst terminal 104 of the first grid 114 which is assigned to carry thesignal A3 is in the same relative vertical position (in direction 142)within the grid as the corresponding first terminal 104 of the secondgrid 114 which is assigned to carry the signal A3. However, since thefirst grid 114 contains two columns 136 and the terminal of the firstgrid 114 assigned to carry the signal A3 is in the left column among thetwo columns 136 of the first grid 114, the mirror image arrangementrequires that the corresponding terminal of the second grid 124 assignedto carry the signal A3 is in the right column among the two columns ofthe second grid 124. Another result of this arrangement is that theterminal assigned to carry the signal A9 is also in the same relativevertical position within the grid in each of the first and second grids114, 124. However, in the first grid 114, the terminal assigned to carryA9 is in the right column among the two columns 136 of the first grid,and the mirror image arrangement requires that the correspondingterminal of the second grid 124 assigned to carry the signal A9 is inthe left column among the two columns of the second grid 124. As can beseen in FIG. 5A, the same relationship applies for each first terminalin each of the first and second grids, at least for each first terminalassigned to carry a command-address bus signal as discussed above.

The axis 131 about which the signal assignments of the first terminalsare symmetric can be located at various positions on the substrate. In aparticular embodiment, the axis can be a central axis of the packagethat is located equidistant from first and second opposed edges 140, 141of the substrate particularly when the columns 136 of the firstterminals extend in a direction parallel to the edges 140, 141 and thefirst and second grids are disposed at locations which are symmetricabout this central axis. In one example, the axis 131 may be locatedwithin a distance no greater than three and one-half times a minimumpitch between any two adjacent columns of terminals from a line which isparallel to and equidistant from the first and second edges 140, 141 ofthe substrate. Alternatively, this axis of symmetry 131 can be offset ina horizontal direction 135 from the central axis that is equidistantbetween edges 140, 141.

In a particular example, terminals in the first and second grids can belocated in a central region of the package. In one example, at least onecolumn 136 of terminals in each of the first and second grids 114, 124can be disposed within a distance not greater than three and one-halftimes the minimum pitch between any two adjacent parallel columns 136 ofthe terminals from a line which is equidistant from and parallel to thefirst and second edges 140, 141 of the substrate.

As mentioned above, the second terminals 106 can be configured to carryinformation other than the above-noted address information or other thansignals of the above-noted command-address bus. In one example, thesecond terminals 106 can include terminals used for carryinguni-directional or bi-directional data signals to and or from themicroelectronic element, and data strobe signals, as well as data masksand ODT or “on die termination” signals used to turn on or off parallelterminations to termination resistors. In particular examples, thesecond terminals may carry signals such as chip select, reset, clockenable, as well as reference potentials such as power supply voltages,e.g., Vdd, Vddq, or ground, e.g., Vss and Vssq. In some embodiments itis possible for some or all terminals that are configured to carrysignals other than the command-address bus signals to be disposed assecond terminals 106 on the package, wherever they can be suitablyplaced. For example, some or all of the second terminals 106 can bearranged in the same grids 114, 124 on the substrate 102 in which thefirst terminals 104 are arranged. Some or all of the second terminals106 may be disposed in the same column or in different columns as someor all of the first terminals 104. In some cases, one or more secondterminals can be interspersed with the first terminals in the same gridsor column thereof.

In a particular example, some or all of the second terminals 106 can bedisposed in a third grid 116 on the second surface 110 of the substrate,and another set of the second terminals can be disposed in a fourth grid126 on the package surface 110. In a particular case, the signalassignments of the second terminals in the third grid 116 can be amirror image of the signal assignments of the second terminals in thefourth grid 126, in like manner to that described above for the firstand second grids. The third and fourth grids 116, 126 may in some casesextend in the direction 134 in which the first and second grids extendand can be parallel to one another. The third and fourth grids may alsobe parallel to the first and second grids 114, 124. Alternatively,referring to FIG. 5A, grids 127, 129 in which second terminals aredisposed can extend in another direction 135 which is transverse to oreven orthogonal to direction 142. In another example, some secondterminals can be disposed within each of the grids 116, 126, 127 and 129shown in FIG. 5A. Some second terminals may or may not also be disposedat positions within the first and second grids 114, 124.

Also, as shown in FIG. 5A, the signal class assignments of the secondterminals in grid 127 can be symmetric about the vertical axis 132, andthe signal class assignments of the second terminals in grid 129 can besymmetric about the vertical axis 132. As used herein, two signal classassignments can be symmetric with respect to one another if the signalassignments are in the same class of assignments, even if the numericalindex within the class differs. Exemplary signal class assignments caninclude data signals, data strobe signals, data strobe complementsignals, and data mask signals. In a particular example, in grid 127,the second terminals having signal assignments DQSH and DQSL aresymmetric about the vertical axis 132 with respect to their signal classassignment, which is data strobe, even though those second terminalshave different signal assignments.

As further shown in FIG. 5A, the assignments of the data signals to thespatial positions of the second terminals on the microelectronicpackage, such as for data signals DQ0, DQ1, . . . , for example, canhave modulo-X symmetry about the vertical axis 132. The modulo-Xsymmetry can help preserve signal integrity in an assembly 200 or 354such as seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in which one or more pairs of first andsecond packages are mounted opposite one another to a circuit panel, andthe circuit panel electrically connects corresponding pairs of secondterminals of those first and second packages in each oppositely mountedpackage pair. When the signal assignments of terminals have “modulo-Xsymmetry” about an axis, terminals that carry signals which have thesame number “modulo-X” are disposed at positions which are symmetricabout the axis. Thus, in such assembly 200 or 354 such as in FIGS.7A-7B, modulo-X symmetry can permit electrical connections to be madethrough the circuit panel so that a terminal DQ0 of a first package canbe electrically connected through the circuit panel to a terminal DQ8 ofthe second package which has the same number modulo X (X being 8 in thiscase), so that the connection can be made in a direction essentiallystraight through, i.e., normal to, the thickness of the circuit panel.Thus, a number such as 8 modulo 8 is 0, and a number such as 9 modulo 8is 1. Therefore, when the signal assignments have modulo-8 symmetry, aterminal which is configured to carry a signal such as DQ1, for whichthe modulo 1 operation yields a result of “1”, is disposed at a positionon the substrate which is symmetric about an axis with another terminalconfigured to carry a signal such as DQ9 or DQ17 for which the modulo 8operation yields the same result, i.e., “1”.

In one example, “X” can be a number 2^(n) (2 to the power of n), whereinn is greater than or equal to 2, or X can be 8×N, N being two or more.Thus, in one example, X may be equal to the number of bits in ahalf-byte (4 bits), byte (8 bits), multiple bytes (8×N, N being two ormore), a word (32 bits) or multiple words. In such way, in one example,when there is modulo-8 symmetry as shown in FIG. 5A, the signalassignment of a package terminal DQ0 in grid 127 is configured to carrydata signal DQ0 is symmetric about the vertical axis 132 with the signalassignment of another package terminal DQ8 configured to carry datasignal DQ8. Moreover, the same is true for the signal assignments ofpackage terminals DQ0 and DQ8 in grid 129. As further seen in FIG. 5A,the signal assignments of package terminals DQ2 and DQ10 in grid 127have modulo-8 symmetry about the vertical axis, and the same is alsotrue for grid 129. Modulo-8 symmetry such as described herein can beseen in grids 127, 129 with respect to each of the signal assignments ofpackage terminals DQ0 through DQ15.

It is important to note that, although not shown, the modulo number “X”can be a number other than 2^(n) (2 to the power of n) and can be anynumber greater than two. Thus, the modulo number X upon which thesymmetry is based can depend upon how many bits are present in a datasize for which the package is constructed or configured. For example,when the data size is 10 bits instead of 8, then the signal assignmentsmay have modulo-10 symmetry. It may even be the case that when the datasize has an odd number of bits, the modulo number X can have suchnumber.

FIG. 7A illustrates an assembly 200 of first and second microelectronicpackages 100A, 100B, each being a microelectronic package 100 asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 5A-C above, as mounted to oppositefirst and second surfaces 150, 152 of a circuit panel 154. The circuitpanel can be of various types, such as a printed circuit board used in adual-inline memory module (“DIMM”) module, a circuit board or panel tobe connected with other components in a system, or a motherboard, amongothers. The first and second microelectronic packages 100A, 100B can bemounted to corresponding contacts 160, 162 exposed at the first andsecond surfaces 150, 152 of the circuit panel 154, respectively.

As particularly shown in FIG. 7A, because the signal assignments of thefirst terminals in the second grid of each package are a mirror image ofthe signal assignments of the first terminals in the first grid of eachpackage, when the packages 100A, 100B are mounted to the circuit panelopposite one another, each first terminal in the first grid 114A of thefirst package 100A can be aligned with the corresponding first terminalin the second grid 124B of the second package 100B which has the samesignal assignment and to which it is electrically connected. Moreover,each first terminal in the second grid 124A of the first package 100Acan be aligned with the corresponding first terminal in the first grid114B which has the same signal assignment and to which it iselectrically connected.

To be sure, the alignment of each pair of connected terminals can bewithin a tolerance, such that each pair of connected terminals can bealigned within one ball pitch of one another in orthogonal x and ydirections along the first surface 150 of the circuit panel 154. Asevident from FIG. 7A, the first terminals of each grid can be alignedwithin one ball pitch of one another in x and y orthogonal directionsparallel to the surface 350 of the circuit panel, the ball pitch beingno greater than a minimum pitch between any two adjacent parallelcolumns of the terminals on either package. In a particular example, thegrids may be aligned with one another in the x and y directions suchthat at least some of the first terminals on the first and secondmicroelectronic packages are coincident with one another. As usedherein, when the first terminals of packages at opposite surfaces of acircuit panel are “coincident” with one another, the alignment can bewithin customary manufacturing tolerances or can be within a toleranceof less than one-half of one ball pitch of one another in x and yorthogonal directions parallel to the first and second circuit panelsurfaces, the ball pitch being as described above.

In a particular example, at least half of the positions of the alignedgrids of the respective first and second packages 100A, 100B (e.g., thefirst grid 114A of the first package and the second grid 124B of thesecond package) can be aligned with one another in orthogonal x and ydirections along the first surface 150 of the circuit panel 154.

Thus, as further shown in FIG. 7A, a particular first terminal thatcarries a signal marked “A” in grid 114A of the first package 100A isaligned with the corresponding first terminal of grid 124B of the secondpackage 100B that carries the same signal “A”. The same is also trueregarding a particular first terminal that carries a signal marked “A”in grid 124A of the first package 100A that is aligned with thecorresponding first terminal of grid 114B of the second package 100Bthat carries the same signal “A”.

In this way, as further seen in FIG. 7A, the lengths of the electricalconnections through the circuit panel between each pair of electricallyconnected first terminals of the first and second packages 100A, 100Bcan be significantly reduced, in that the terminals in each of thesepairs of electrically connected second terminals may overlie oneanother, or at least be aligned within one ball pitch of one another.The reductions in the lengths of these electrical connections can reducestub lengths in the circuit panel and the assembly, which can helpimprove the electrical performance, such as reducing settling time,ringing, jitter, or intersymbol interference, among others, for theabove-noted signals which are carried by the first terminals and whichare transferred to microelectronic elements in both the first and secondpackages. Moreover, it may be possible to obtain other benefits as well,such as simplifying the structure of the circuit panel or reducing thecomplexity and cost of designing or manufacturing the circuit panel.

Therefore, referring to FIG. 7B, the electrical lengths of stubs on thecircuit panel 354 which electrically connect a first terminal 104 of thefirst package 100A with the corresponding first terminal 104 on thesecond package 100B can be less than seven times a minimum pitch of thefirst terminals on each package, for example, less than seven times thepitch 151 between columns 104A, 104B of first terminals in FIG. 5B.Stated another way, referring to FIG. 7A, the total combined length ofthe conductive elements connecting a pair of electrically coupled firstand second panel contacts 160, 162 exposed at the first and secondsurfaces of the circuit panel 150, 152 for electrically interconnectingthe first and second panel contacts with one of the command signals,address signals, bank address signals or clock signals can be less thanseven times a smallest pitch of the panel contacts.

As further shown in FIG. 7A, when the second terminals of each package100A, 100B are arranged in third and fourth grids having the specificmirror image arrangement described above with respect to FIGS. 5A-C,each terminal of each package's third grid can be aligned with thecorresponding second terminal of the other package's fourth grid whichhas the same signal assignment and to which it is electricallyconnected. Thus, as seen in FIG. 7A, each terminal in the third grid116A of the first package 100A can be aligned within one ball pitch ofthe corresponding terminal in the fourth grid 126B of the second package100B which has the same signal assignment and to which it iselectrically connected. Moreover, each terminal in the grid 126A of thefirst package 100A can be aligned within one ball pitch of thecorresponding terminal in the third grid 116B which has the same signalassignment and to which it is electrically connected. Again, thealignment of each pair of connected terminals is within a tolerance,such that each pair of connected terminals can be aligned within oneball pitch of one another in orthogonal x and y directions along thefirst surface 150 of the circuit panel 154. In a particular embodiment,the alignment can be such that the corresponding connected terminals ofthe packages 100A, 100B are coincident with one another.

Thus, as further shown in FIG. 7A, a particular first terminal thatcarries a signal marked “B” in grid 116A of the first package 100A canbe aligned within one ball pitch of the corresponding first terminal ofgrid 126B of the second package 100B that carries the same signal “B”and to which it is electrically connected. The same is also trueregarding a particular first terminal that carries a signal marked “B”in grid 126A of the first package 100A that can be aligned within oneball pitch of the corresponding first terminal of grid 116B of thesecond package 100B that carries the same signal “B” and to which it iselectrically connected.

Similar to the connections between corresponding first terminals 104 offirst and second packages as described above, in this embodiment, thelengths of the electrical connections through the circuit panel betweenpairs of electrically connected second terminals 106 of the first andsecond packages can be significantly reduced, in that the terminals ineach of these pairs of electrically connected second terminals may becoincident with one another, or at least be aligned within one ballpitch of one another in orthogonal x and y directions parallel to thecircuit panel surface. Moreover, benefits similar to those describedabove for reducing stub lengths and simplifying the construction of acircuit panel for the connections between the first and second packagesmay be obtained when the second terminals of a microelectronic packageare arranged in this way, i.e., terminals which can be assigned to carrysignals other than the above-noted signals of the command-address bus.

FIG. 7B further illustrates that two pairs 100A-100B, or a greaternumber of pairs of microelectronic packages each having a constructioneither as described above or hereinafter can be electricallyinterconnected with respective panel contacts on a circuit panel 354,e.g., a board of a dual-inline memory module (“DIMM”), in similarorientations as packages 100A, 100B. Thus, FIG. 7B shows three pairs ofpackages 100A-100B, each pair electrically interconnected with circuitpanel 354 in opposite orientations facing one another as describedabove.

FIG. 7B illustrates a microelectronic assembly such as, for example, aDIMM, among others, incorporating a circuit panel and a plurality ofmicroelectronic packages mounted opposite one another to first andsecond opposite surfaces thereof. As seen in FIG. 7B, the above-notedaddress information or in some cases, command-address bus signals can berouted on a bus 36, e.g., an address bus or command-address bus on thecircuit panel or circuit board 354, in at least one direction 143between connection sites I, II or III at which respective pairs ofmicroelectronic packages 100A-100B are connected to opposite sides ofthe circuit panel. Signals of such bus 36 reach each pair of packages atthe respective connection sites I, II or III at slightly differenttimes. The at least one direction 143 can be transverse to or orthogonalto a direction 142 in which at least one column 111 of a plurality ofcontacts on at least one microelectronic element within each package100A or 100B extends. In such way, the signal conductors of the bus 36on (i.e., on or within) the circuit panel 354 can in some cases bespaced apart from one another in a direction 142 which is parallel tothe at least one column 111 of contacts on a microelectronic elementwithin a package 100A, or 100B connected to the circuit panel.

Such a configuration, particularly when the terminals of the first grid104 of each microelectronic package are arranged in one or more columnsextending in such direction 142, may help simplify the routing of signalconductors of one or more global routing layers on the circuit panelused to route the signals of the bus 36. For example, it may be possibleto simplify routing of the command-address bus signals on a circuitpanel when relatively few first terminals are disposed at the samevertical layout position on each package. Thus, in the example shown inFIG. 5C, the first and second grids 114, 124 of each package have onlyfour terminals disposed at the same vertical layout position, such as,for example, the terminals of the first and second grids 114, 124configured to receive address signals A3 and A1, as further shown inFIG. 5A.

In one embodiment, the microelectronic assembly 354 can have amicroelectronic element 358 that can include a semiconductor chipconfigured to perform buffering of at least some signals transferred tothe microelectronic packages 100A, 100B of the assembly 354. Such amicroelectronic element 358 having a buffering function can beconfigured to help provide impedance isolation for each of themicroelectronic elements in the microelectronic packages 100A and 100Bwith respect to components external to the microelectronic assembly 354.

In an exemplary embodiment, the microelectronic assembly 354 can have amicroelectronic element 358 that can include a semiconductor chipconfigured predominantly to perform a logic function, such as a solidstate drive controller, and one or more of the microelectronic elementsin the microelectronic packages 100A and 100B can each include memorystorage elements such as nonvolatile flash memory. The microelectronicelement 358 can include a special purpose processor that is configuredto relieve a central processing unit of a system such as the system 2500(FIG. 31) from supervision of transfers of data to and from the memorystorage elements included in the microelectronic elements. Such amicroelectronic element 354 including a solid state drive controller canprovide direct memory access to and from a data bus on a motherboard(e.g., the circuit panel 2502 shown in FIG. 31) of a system such as thesystem 2500.

In such an embodiment of the microelectronic assembly 354 having amicroelectronic element 358 that includes a controller function and/or abuffering function, the command-address bus signals can be routedbetween the microelectronic element 358 and each pair of packages 100Aand 100B at respective connection sites I, II or III. In the particularexample shown in FIG. 7B, a portion of the command-address bus 36 thatextends past the connection sites I, II or III can extend in thedirection 143 or in another direction transverse to the direction 143 toreach contacts of the microelectronic element 358. In one embodiment,the command-address bus 36 can extend in the direction 143 to reachcontacts of the microelectronic element 358.

FIG. 8 illustrates a microelectronic package 200 according to avariation of the embodiment described above relative to FIGS. 5A-7A inwhich a microelectronic element has a composite structure which includesfirst and second semiconductor chips 101A, 101B. The secondsemiconductor chip 101B, like the first semiconductor chip, also haselement contacts 111B, 113B on its front face 105 which are electricallyconnected with the substrate contacts 121, 123. In a particularembodiment, a spacer element 103 can be disposed between the front face105 of the first semiconductor chip and the rear face 107 of the secondsemiconductor chip, which can facilitate forming wire bonds 112connected to the first semiconductor chip 101A at a stage of processingafter the second semiconductor chip 101B has been stacked with thespacer element 103 atop the first semiconductor chip.

FIG. 9 illustrates another variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8in which the microelectronic element further includes anothersemiconductor chip 109 disposed between the first surface 108 of thesubstrate and the rear face 107 of the first semiconductor chip 101A.Semiconductor chip 109 can have contacts 129 on a front face 125 thereofwhich face corresponding contacts 115, 117 and are joined thereto. Thejoints between the chip 109 and the corresponding substrate contacts115, 117 can be made using electrically conductive joining elements 118,which can include a bond metal, a deposited electrically conductivematerial, posts or pillars of a metal, e.g., a rigid metal such ascopper, nickel or combination thereof. In a particular example, thesemiconductor chip 109 can be a bare chip, i.e., unpackaged chip.Alternatively, the semiconductor chip 109 may include conductivestructure such as leads, traces, or vias thereon, among others, or maybe a packaged semiconductor element.

When the microelectronic package includes a vertically stackedarrangement of semiconductor chips such as seen in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, oras seen in examples described in the following, one or more of the chipswithin the package can be configured, e.g., designed, constructed, orset up, to buffer signals or otherwise regenerate information receivedat the terminals 104 or 106 of the package, or both such terminals, fortransfer to another semiconductor chip within the package. For example,in a configuration as shown in FIG. 8, a first semiconductor chip 101Aadjacent the substrate can buffer or otherwise regenerate one or moresignals or information for transfer to the second semiconductor chip. Ina configuration as seen in FIG. 9, a semiconductor chip 109 can buffersignals or otherwise regenerate information for transfer to one or moreof semiconductor chips 101A, 101B. Alternatively or in addition thereto,semiconductor chip 109 can regenerate signals received from one or moreof the semiconductor chips 101A, 101B for transfer to the terminals 104,106 or both 104, 106, or can regenerate signals being transferred inboth directions from the terminals to the semiconductor chips 101A,101B; or signals being transferred from the semiconductor chips 101A,101B to the terminals of the microelectronic package.

Alternatively or in addition to regenerating signals as described above,in one example, the first chip in such a composite microelectronicelement can be configured to partially or fully decode information thatcontrols an operating mode of the microelectronic element. In aparticular example, the first semiconductor chip in such compositemicroelectronic element can be configured to partially or fully decodeat least one of address information or command information received atthe terminals, such as at the first terminals of the microelectronicpackage. The first chip can then output the result of such partial orfull decoding for transfer to the one or more second semiconductor chips101A, 101B.

Signals or information received at the terminals of the package can berouted to substrate contacts 115 and through joining elements 118 tosemiconductor chip 109. Semiconductor chip 109 can then regenerate andtransfer the received signals or information to substrate contacts 117.From the substrate contacts 117, the signals or information may berouted by the substrate, such as through conductive traces thereon tosubstrate contacts 111, 113 where they are then routed to thesemiconductor chips 101A, 101B such as through wirebonds 112. In aparticular example, the semiconductor chip 109 can be configured tobuffer the above-noted command signals, address signals and clocksignals transferred to the semiconductor chips 101A, 101B.

FIG. 10 illustrates a microelectronic package 600 according to aparticular example in which the microelectronic element includes avertical stack 630 of an electrically interconnected first semiconductorchip 632 and a plurality of second semiconductor chips 634, each havinga contact-bearing face 631 that faces away from the substrate 602. Wirebonds 635 electrically interconnect the contacts 626 on thesemiconductor chips 632, 634 with corresponding contacts 636 on thesubstrate. Spacers 638 can be disposed between adjacent faces of thesemiconductor chips 634, and a spacer 638 can be disposed between thecontact-bearing face 631 of the semiconductor chip 632 and a rear faceof semiconductor chip 634. In some cases, adhesive layers (not shown)can be provided between each spacer and the faces of the semiconductorchips adjacent to such spacer. As shown in FIG. 10, the one or moresecond semiconductor chips 634 are electrically interconnected with thefirst semiconductor chip 632. For example, as seen in FIG. 10, there arethree vertically stacked second semiconductor chips 634 in which thefaces 631 thereof are parallel to one another.

In the microelectronic package 600 seen in FIG. 10, each of the firstand second semiconductor chips 632, 634 can be configured such that eachsuch semiconductor chip embodies a greater number of active devices toprovide memory storage array function than any other function. Forexample, each of the first and second semiconductor chips may include amemory storage array and all circuitry required for inputting data toand outputting data from the memory storage array. For example, when thememory storage array in each semiconductor chip is writable, each of thesemiconductor chips may include circuitry configured to receive externaldata input from terminals of the package, as well as circuitryconfigured to transfer data output from such semiconductor chip toterminals of the package. Thus, each first and each second semiconductorchip 632, 634 can be a dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) chip orother memory chip which is capable of inputting and outputting data fromthe memory storage array within such semiconductor chip and receivingand transmitting such data to a component external to themicroelectronic package. Stated another way, in such case, signals toand from the memory storage array within each DRAM chip or other memorychip does not require buffering by an additional semiconductor chipwithin the microelectronic package.

Alternatively, in another example, the one or more second semiconductorchips 634 may embody a greater number of active devices to providememory storage array function than any other function, but the firstsemiconductor chip 632 may be a different type of chip. In this case,the first semiconductor chip 632 can be configured, e.g., designed,constructed, or set up, to buffer signals, i.e., regenerate signalsreceived at the terminals for transfer to the one or more secondsemiconductor chips 634, or to regenerate signals received from one ormore of the second semiconductor chips 634 for transfer to theterminals, or to regenerate signals being transferred in both directionsfrom the terminals to the one or more second semiconductor chips 634;and from the one or more semiconductor chips to the terminals of themicroelectronic package.

In a particular example, the first semiconductor chip can be configuredto buffer address information or may be configured to buffer commandsignals, address signals and clock signals which are transferred to theone or more second semiconductor chips. For example, the firstsemiconductor chip 632 can be a buffer chip which embodies a greaternumber of active devices to provide a buffering function in transferringsignals to other devices, e.g., to the one or more second semiconductorchips 634, than for any other function. Then, the one or more secondsemiconductor chips may be reduced function chips which have memorystorage arrays but which can omit circuitry common to DRAM chips, suchas buffer circuitry, decoders or predecoders or wordline drivers, amongothers. In that case, the first chip 632 may function as a “master” chipin the stack and to control operations in each of the secondsemiconductor chips 634. In a particular example, the secondsemiconductor chips may be configured such that they are not capable ofperforming the buffering function, and so the stacked arrangement of thefirst and second semiconductor chips is configured such that thebuffering function required in the microelectronic package can beperformed by the first semiconductor chip, and cannot be performed byany of the second semiconductor chips in the stacked arrangement.Similar to that described above, the first semiconductor chip may beconfigured to partially or fully decode information received at thefirst terminals that controls an operating mode of the microelectronicelement made up of the first and second semiconductor chips.Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the first semiconductor chip maybe configured to partially or fully decode at least one of address orcommand information received at the first terminals. In a particularexample, one or more of the second semiconductor chips may not beconfigured to fully decode information received at the first terminalsof the microelectronic package, such as address information, commandinformation or information that controls an operating mode of themicroelectronic element.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the one or more secondsemiconductor chips can be implemented in one or more of the followingtechnologies: DRAM, NAND flash memory, RRAM (“resistive RAM” or“resistive random access memory”), phase-change memory (“PCM”),magnetoresistive random access memory, e.g. such as may embodimenttunnel junction devices, spin-torque RAM, or content-addressable memory,among others.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view and FIG. 12 is a corresponding plan viewillustrating a microelectronic package 660 according to a furthervariation in which the second semiconductor chips 634 are mounted instair-step manner relative to one another such that the contacts of thefirst semiconductor chip 632 are exposed beyond an edge 618 of thesecond semiconductor chip 634A immediately above the first semiconductorchip 632, and the contacts of that semiconductor chip 634A are exposedbeyond an edge 618 of the second semiconductor chip 634B immediatelyabove that second semiconductor chip. Electrical connections between thefirst and second chips and the substrate and among the chips can beprovided by wire bonds 635 which electrically connect adjacent chipswithin the stack of semiconductor chips, or wire bonds 637 whichelectrically connect the chips directly to the package substrate 662.

FIG. 13 illustrates a microelectronic package 670 according to a furthervariation of the embodiment described above relative to FIG. 10, inwhich connections between contacts of the one or more secondsemiconductor chips 634 can include traces or leads 640 which extendalong one or more edges of a unit of stacked semiconductor chips 630,i.e., along edges of the semiconductor chips 634 within such unit 630.Unit 630 is mounted and electrically interconnected with contacts 627 ofthe first semiconductor chip 632, such as with a bond metal, e.g.,solder, tin, gold, indium, a eutectic, or electrically conductive bumps,or both, which may in some cases include conductive posts, e.g.,micropillars. Traces 654 may extend along a face 631 of the firstsemiconductor chip from the contacts 627 to second contacts 626, whichin turn can be electrically connected with the substrate, such asthrough wire bonds 645.

The electrical connections between the second semiconductor chips 634may further include traces 644 which extend along front faces of thesecond semiconductor chips 634. As further shown in FIG. 13, the frontfaces 642 of the second semiconductor chips may face upwardly away fromthe substrate 602 or downwardly towards the substrate 602.

FIG. 14 further illustrates a microelectronic package 680 in which asecond semiconductor chip 634 has contacts 647 facing contacts 627 ofthe first chip and joined thereto in flip-chip manner, such as through abond metal, e.g., solder, tin, gold, indium, a eutectic, or electricallyconductive bumps, or both. Traces 654 may electrically connect thecontacts 627 with other contacts 626 on the first chip which areelectrically connected to the substrate, such as through wire bonds.

FIG. 15A further illustrates a microelectronic package 690 according toa particular example in which the one or more second semiconductor chips634 are electrically connected with one another by through-silicon-vias(“TSVs”) 650 which extend in a direction of the thicknesses 652 of atleast some of the second semiconductor chips 634, i.e., in a directionnormal to the faces 642 of the chips 634. As seen in FIG. 15A, in oneexample, the TSVs 650 can be electrically connected with contacts 627 ofthe first semiconductor chip 632, such as through a bond metal, e.g.,solder, tin, gold, indium, a eutectic, or electrically conductive bumps,or both, which may in some cases include conductive posts, e.g.,micropillars. Traces 654 may extend along a face 631 of the firstsemiconductor chip from the contacts 627 to second contacts 626, whichin turn can be wire-bonded to the substrate.

In one example, information or signals received at terminals of thepackage 690, such as at the first terminals, the second terminals, orboth, can be received by the first semiconductor chip 632 through wirebonds 645 which are joined to substrate contacts 636, which in turn arejoined to such terminals of the microelectronic package. The firstsemiconductor chip 632, operating as a buffer element, can thenregenerate the received information or signals and then transfer theregenerated information or signals to the one or more secondsemiconductor chips, e.g., through the connections between the first andsecond chips 632, 634 and through the TSVs 650 within the stack ofsecond chips 634.

FIG. 15B illustrates a variation of the microelectronic package shown inFIG. 15A. Unlike the package shown in FIG. 15A, semiconductor chip 664,which is configured to regenerate or at least partially decode addressinformation or other information, e.g., regenerate signals for transferto other semiconductor chips in the package, is not located adjacent tothe first surface 108 of the substrate 602. Rather, in this case, thesemiconductor chip 664 can be disposed at a position within the packagethat overlies one or more other semiconductor chips. For example, asshown in FIG. 15B, chip 664 at least partially overlies semiconductorchip 662 that is disposed adjacent to the first surface 108 of thesubstrate 602 and chip 664 at least partially overlies semiconductorchips 663A, 663B and 663C which are disposed atop semiconductor chip662. In one example, semiconductor chips 662 and 663A, 663B and 663C mayinclude memory storage arrays. As in the examples described above, suchchips 662, and 663A, 663B and 663C may each incorporate circuitsconfigured to buffer, e.g., temporarily store, data that is to bewritten to such chip, or data that is being read from such chip, orboth. Alternatively, the chips 662, and 663A, 663B and 663C may be morelimited in function and may need to be used together with at least oneother chip which is configured to temporarily store data that is to bewritten to such chip or data that is being read from such chip, or both.

Semiconductor chip 664 can be electrically connected to terminals of themicroelectronic package, e.g., to grids in which the first terminals 604and the second terminals 606 are disposed, through electricallyconductive structure, e.g., wire bonds 665, which partially overlies afront face 631 of semiconductor chip 663A and which connects to contacts636 exposed at the first surface 108 of the substrate. The electricallyconductive structure, e.g., wire bonds 665, can electrically connect tosemiconductor chip 664 through contacts 638 on a chip 663A and throughconductors (not shown) which extend along the face 631 of chip 663A oralong confronting face 641 of chip 664, or which conductors extend alongthe faces 631, 641 of both of the chips 663A, 664. As indicated above,semiconductor chip 664 may be configured to regenerate or at leastpartially decode signals or information that it receives through theconductive structure, e.g., wire bonds 665, and be configured totransfer the regenerated or at least partially decoded signals orinformation to other chips within the package such as to chips 662, and663A, 663B and 663C.

As further seen in FIG. 15B, semiconductor chips 662, 663A, 663B and663C can be electrically connected to semiconductor chip 664 and to oneanother by a plurality of through silicon vias 672, 674 and 676 whichcan extend through one, two or three or more of such chips. Each suchthrough silicon via may electrically connect with wiring, e.g.,conductive pads or traces of two or more of the semiconductor chips 662,663A, 663B and 663C and 664 within the package. In a particular example(not shown), through silicon vias may extend through the thicknesses ofall semiconductor chips 662, 663A, 663B and 663C, even though eachthrough silicon via may not electrically connect with each suchsemiconductor chip through which it extends.

As further seen in FIG. 15B, a heat sink or heat spreader 668, which mayinclude a plurality of fins 671, can be thermally coupled to a face ofsemiconductor chip 664, e.g., a rear face 633 thereof, such as through athermally conductive material 669 such as thermal adhesive, thermallyconductive grease, or solder, among others.

The microelectronic assembly 695 shown in FIG. 15B may be configured tooperate as a memory module capable of transferring a designated numberof data bits per cycle onto or off of the microelectronic packagethrough the first and second terminals provided therefor on thesubstrate. For example, the microelectronic assembly may be configuredto transfer a number of data bits such as thirty-two data bits,sixty-four data bits, or ninety-six data bits, among other possibleconfigurations, to or from an external component such as a circuit panelwhich can be electrically connected with terminals 604, 606. In anotherexample, when the bits transferred to and from the package include errorcorrection code bits, the number of bits transferred per cycle to orfrom the package may be thirty-six bits, seventy-two bits or one hundredeight bits. Other data widths are possible than those which arespecifically described here.

FIGS. 16-18 illustrate a microelectronic package 1400 according toanother embodiment of the invention in which the first terminals on thepackage are disposed at locations within first and second parallel grids1414, 1424, each grid 1414, 1424 being configured to carry theabove-noted address information. In a particular embodiment, the firstterminals in each grid can be configured to carry all of a group of thecommand-address bus signals: i.e., command signals, address signals,bank address signals and clock signals which are transferred to themicroelectronic package, wherein the command signals include writeenable, row address strobe, and column address strobe signals, and theclock signals can be used for sampling the address signals. Theterminals in the grids 1414, 1424 are electrically connected withcorresponding contacts of the microelectronic elements 1401, 1403 withinthe package 1400 and each grid is constructed to conduct all of theabove-noted signals of the command-address bus to a microelectronicelement within the package. In addition, as specifically shown in FIG.16, and as further described below, the signal assignments of theterminals in the first grid 1414 are a mirror image of the signalassignments of the terminals in the second grid 1424.

Providing duplicate sets of first terminals in first and second parallelgrids in which the signal assignments in one grid are a mirror image ofthe signal assignments in the other grid can help reduce the lengths ofstubs in an assembly of first and second microelectronic packagesmounted opposite one another to a circuit panel. When first and secondmicroelectronic packages are connected to opposite mounting surfaces ofa circuit panel with the circuit panel electrically interconnecting thepackages, each of the first terminals of the first grid of the firstpackage can be aligned within one ball pitch of the corresponding firstterminal of the second, mirror image grid of the second package to whichit is electrically connected. In addition, each of the first terminalsof the first grid of the second package can be so aligned within oneball pitch of the corresponding first terminals of the second, mirrorimage grid of the first package to which they connect. As a result, eachfirst terminal of the first package can be electrically connected with acorresponding first terminal of the second package, with the mountinglocations of each pair of terminals on the opposite circuit panelsurfaces being within one ball pitch of each other in orthogonal x and ydirections parallel to one of the surfaces of the circuit panel. In somecases, the mounting locations of each pair of connected terminals on theopposite circuit panel surfaces may even be coincident with one another.Accordingly, the lengths of the electrical connections through thecircuit panel between pairs of electrically connected first terminals ofthe first and second packages can be significantly reduced, in that theterminals in each of these pairs of electrically connected firstterminals may be coincident with one another, or otherwise alignedwithin one ball pitch of one another in x and y orthogonal directionsalong the first circuit panel surface.

The circuit panel construction may also be simplified in an assemblyhaving this construction because the routing between each electricallyconnected pair of first terminals can be mostly in a vertical direction,i.e., in a direction through the thickness of the circuit panel. Thatis, via connections on the circuit panel may be all that is needed toelectrically connect each pair of corresponding first terminals of thepackages mounted to the opposite surfaces of the circuit panel.

Moreover, the number of global routing layers of wiring on the circuitpanel required to route the above-noted address information on a bus 36(FIG. 7B) along the circuit panel between connection sites whererespective pairs of microelectronic packages are connected can also bereduced when the microelectronic packages attached thereto areconstructed according to the principles herein. Specifically, the numberof global routing layers required to route such signals along thecircuit panel may in some cases be reduced to two or fewer routinglayers. However, on the circuit panel, there may be a greater number ofglobal routing layers which carry signals other than the above-notedinformation or signals on a bus 36.

The microelectronic package may also have second terminals other thanthe first terminals, such terminals typically being configured to carrysignals other than the above-noted command-address bus signals. In oneexample, the second terminals can include terminals used for carryinguni-directional or bi-directional data signals to and or from themicroelectronic element, and data strobe signals, as well as data masksand ODT or “on die termination” signals used to turn on or off parallelterminations to termination resistors. Signals or reference potentialssuch as chip select, reset, power supply voltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, andground, e.g., Vss and Vssq, may also be carried by the second terminals;none of the signals or reference potentials needs to be carried by thefirst terminals. In some embodiments it is possible for some or allterminals configured to carry signals other than the command-address bussignals to be disposed as second terminals in any locations on thepackage.

Alternatively, in some embodiments it is possible for some or allterminals which are configured to carry signals other than thecommand-address bus signals to also be disposed in the first grid andwithin the second, mirror image grid of first terminals on the package.In this way, it may be possible to reduce the stub lengths in theelectrical connections provided on a circuit panel between thesecorresponding first terminals, as described above.

In other embodiments, some or all of the terminals which are configuredto carry signals other than the command-address bus signals can bearranged as a set of second terminals in a third grid on the packagesurface, and another set of the second terminals can be arranged in afourth grid on the same package surface, in which the signal assignmentsof the second terminals in the third grid are a mirror image of thesignal assignments of the second terminals in the fourth grid. In thisway, similar to the connections between corresponding first terminals offirst and second packages as described above, the lengths of theelectrical connections through the circuit panel between pairs ofelectrically connected second terminals of the first and second packagescan be significantly reduced, in that the terminals in each of thesepairs of electrically connected second terminals may be coincident withone another, or otherwise aligned within one ball pitch of one another.Moreover, benefits similar to those described above for reducing stublengths and simplifying the construction of a circuit panel for theconnections between the first and second packages may be obtained whensecond terminals of a microelectronic package are arranged in this way.

Referring to FIG. 17, the package 1400 can include first and secondmicroelectronic elements 1401, 1403 each being configured, i.e.,constructed to predominantly provide memory storage array function, inthat each of the first and second microelectronic elements 1401, 1403has a greater number of active devices, such as transistors which areconfigured to provide memory storage array function than any otherfunction, as indicated above. The first and second microelectronicelements have element contacts 1436 at faces 1431 of the microelectronicelements which face away from the substrate 1402 and are electricallyconnected with corresponding substrate contacts 1446 exposed at thefirst surface 1408 of the substrate, as seen in FIG. 17.

As seen in FIGS. 16-17, the package 1400 can have first terminals 1414,1424 and second terminals 106 for electrically and mechanicallyconnecting the package 1400 with a component external to the package1400, such as a circuit panel, for example. The terminals can beelectrically conductive pads, posts, or other electrically conductivestructure. In the example seen in FIG. 17, joining units 1430, which mayinclude a bond metal such as solder, tin, indium, gold, or a eutecticmaterial, among others, or other conductive bond material, may beattached to the first and second grids 1404, 1406 of terminals. Thefirst terminals 1404 and the second terminals 1406 can be electricallyconnected with the substrate contacts 1446 through electricallyconductive structure on the substrate, such as traces and vias, forexample.

An arrangement of the first terminals in the first and second grids1414, 1424 of the package can be as particularly shown in FIG. 16. Inone example, each grid 1414, 1424 may include first and second parallelcolumns 1438 of terminals. The columns 1438 of terminals in each gridcan be adjacent to one other. Alternatively, although not shown in FIG.16, at least one terminal may be disposed between the first and secondcolumns of terminals. As seen in FIG. 16, the signal assignments of thefirst terminals in the second grid 1424 are a mirror image of the signalassignments 1424 of the first terminals in the first grid 1414. Statedanother way, the signal assignments of the first terminals in the firstand second grids are symmetric about an axial plane 1432 which extendsin a direction orthogonal to the surface 1410 of the substrate andintersects the surface 1410 along a line centered between the first andsecond grids 1414, 1424, the axial plane 1432 in this case extending ina direction 1434 in which columns 1438 of the first terminals extend.With the signal assignments in the second grid 1424 being a mirror imageof those in the first grid 1414, a first terminal 1404 of the first grid1414 which is assigned to carry the signal CK (clock) is in the samerelative vertical position (in direction 1434) within the grid as thecorresponding first terminal 1404 of the second grid 1414 which isassigned to carry the signal CK. However, since the first grid 1414contains two columns 1438 and the terminal of the first grid 1414assigned to carry the signal CK is in the left column thereof among thetwo columns 1438 of the first grid. The mirror image signal assignmentrequires that the corresponding terminal of the second grid 1424assigned to carry the signal CK is in the right column 1438 among thetwo columns of the second grid. Another result of this arrangement isthat the terminal assigned to carry the signal WE (write enable) is alsoin the same relative vertical position within the grid in each of thefirst and second grids 1414, 1424. However, in the first grid 1414, theterminal assigned to carry WE is in the right column among the twocolumns 1438 of the first grid, and the mirror image arrangementrequires that the corresponding terminal of the second grid 1424assigned to carry the signal WE is in the left column 1438 among the twocolumns of the second grid 1424. As can be seen in FIG. 16, the samerelationship applies for each first terminal in each of the first andsecond grids, at least for each first terminal assigned to carry acommand-address bus signal as discussed above.

The axial plane 1432 about which the signal assignments of the firstterminals are symmetric can be located at various positions on thesubstrate. In a particular embodiment, the axial plane can intersect thesurface 1410 of the substrate along a line on the surface that islocated equidistant from first and second opposed edges 1440, 1442 ofthe substrate, particularly when the columns 1438 of the first terminalsextend in a direction parallel to the edges 1440, 1442 and the first andsecond grids are disposed at locations which are symmetric about thiscentral axis.

In a particular example, the first terminals 1404 of the first grid 1414can be electrically connected with the first microelectronic element1401, and the first terminals 1404 of the second grid 1424 can beelectrically connected with the second microelectronic element 1403. Insuch case, the first terminals 1404 of the first grid 1414 may also benot electrically connected with the second microelectronic element 1403,and the first terminals 1404 of the second grid 1424 of the package 1400may also be not electrically connected with the first microelectronicelement 1401. In yet another example, the first terminals 1404 of eachof the first and second grids 1414 can be electrically connected witheach of the first and second microelectronic elements 1401, 1403.

As mentioned above, the second terminals 1406 can be configured to carryinformation or signals other than the above-noted address information orsignals of the command-address bus. In one example, the second terminals1406 can include terminals used for carrying uni-directional orbi-directional data signals to and or from the microelectronic element,and data strobe signals, as well as data masks and ODT or “on dietermination” signals used by the chip to turn on or off parallelterminations to termination resistors. Signals such as chip select,reset, clock enable, as well as reference potentials such as powersupply voltages, e.g., Vdd, Vddq, or ground, e.g., Vss and Vssq, can beamong the signals carried by either the first terminals 1404 or thesecond terminals 1406. However, none of these signals or referencepotentials needs to be carried by the first terminals 1404. As furthershown in FIGS. 16-18, second terminals 1406 can be disposed in a thirdgrid 1416 on the second surface 1410 of the substrate, and another setof the second terminals can be disposed in a fourth grid 1426 on thepackage surface 1410. In a particular case, the signal assignments ofthe second terminals in the third grid 1416 can be a mirror image of thesignal assignments of the second terminals in the fourth grid 1426, inlike manner to that described above for the first and second grids. Thethird and fourth grids 1416, 1426 can extend in the direction 1434 inwhich the first and second grids extend and can be parallel to oneanother. The third and fourth grids may also be parallel to the firstand second grids 1414, 1424. Alternatively, each of the third and fourthgrids 1416, 1426 can extend in another direction 1435 which isorthogonal to direction 1434.

As shown in FIG. 17, an encapsulant 1448 may overlie the first surface1408 of the substrate and may contact the microelectronic elements 1401,1403 therein. In some cases, the encapsulant may overlie surfaces 1431of the microelectronic elements which face away from the substrate 1402.

FIG. 19 illustrates an assembly 1450 of first and second microelectronicpackages 1400A, 1400B, each being a microelectronic package 1400 asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 16-18 above, as mounted to oppositefirst and second surfaces 1460, 1462 of a circuit panel 1464. Thecircuit panel can be of various types, such as a printed circuit boardused in a dual inline memory module (“DIMM”) module, a circuit board orpanel to be connected with other components in a system, or amotherboard, among others. The first and second microelectronic packages1400A, 1400B can be mounted to corresponding contacts 1470, 1472 exposedat the first and second surfaces 1460, 1462 of the circuit panel 1464.

As particularly shown in FIG. 16, because the signal assignments of thefirst terminals in the second grid 1424 of each package are a mirrorimage of the signal assignments of the first terminals in the first grid1414 of each package, when the packages 1400A, 1400B are mounted to thecircuit panel opposite one another as in FIG. 19, each first terminal inthe first grid 1414A of the first package 1400A is aligned with thecorresponding first terminal in the second grid 1424B of the secondpackage 1400B which has the same signal assignment and to which it iselectrically connected. Moreover, each first terminal in the second grid1424A of the first package 1400A is aligned with the corresponding firstterminal in the first grid 1414B which has the same signal assignmentand to which it is electrically connected. To be sure, the alignment ofeach pair of connected terminals is within a tolerance, such that eachpair of connected terminals can be aligned within one ball pitch of oneanother in orthogonal x and y directions along the first surface 1460 ofthe circuit panel 1464.

Thus, as further shown in FIG. 19, a particular first terminal thatcarries a signal marked “A” in grid 1414A of the first package 1400A isaligned with the corresponding first terminal of grid 1424B of thesecond package 1400B that carries the same signal “A”. The same is alsotrue regarding a particular first terminal that carries a signal marked“A” in grid 1424A of the first package 1400A that is aligned with thecorresponding first terminal of grid 1414B of the second package 1400Bthat carries the same signal “A”.

In this way, as further seen in FIG. 19, the lengths of the electricalconnections through the circuit panel between each pair of electricallyconnected first terminals of the first and second packages 1400A, 1400Bcan be significantly reduced, in that the terminals in each of thesepairs of electrically connected second terminals may overlie oneanother, or at least be aligned within one ball pitch of one another.The reductions in the lengths of these electrical connections can reducestub lengths in the circuit panel and the assembly, which can helpimprove the electrical performance, such as reducing settling time,ringing, jitter, or intersymbol interference, among others, for theabove-noted signals which are carried by the first terminals and whichare transferred to microelectronic elements in both the first and secondpackages. Moreover, it may be possible to obtain other benefits as well,such as simplifying the structure of the circuit panel or reducing thecomplexity and cost of designing or manufacturing the circuit panel.

As further shown in FIG. 19, when the second terminals of each package1400A, 1400B are arranged in third and fourth grids having the specificmirror image arrangement described above with respect to FIGS. 16-18,each second terminal of each package's first grid can be aligned withthe corresponding second terminal of the other package's second gridwhich has the same signal assignment and to which it is electricallyconnected. Thus, as seen in FIG. 19, each second terminal 1406 in thethird grid 1416A of the first package 1400A is aligned with thecorresponding second terminal in the fourth grid 1426B of the secondpackage 1400B which has the same signal assignment and to which it iselectrically connected. Moreover, each second terminal in the fourthgrid 1426A of the first package 1400A is aligned with the correspondingsecond terminal in the third grid 1416B which has the same signalassignment and to which it is electrically connected. Again, thealignment of each pair of connected terminals is within a tolerance,such that each pair of connected terminals can be aligned within oneball pitch of one another in orthogonal x and y directions along thefirst surface 1460 of the circuit panel 1464.

Thus, as further shown in FIG. 19, a particular first terminal thatcarries a signal marked “B” in grid 1416A of the first package 1400A isaligned with the corresponding first terminal of grid 1426B of thesecond package 1400B that carries the same signal “B” and to which it iselectrically connected. The same is also true regarding a particularfirst terminal that carries a signal marked “B” in grid 1426A of thefirst package 1400A that is aligned with the corresponding firstterminal of grid 1416B of the second package 1400B that carries the samesignal “B” and to which it is electrically connected.

Similar to the connections between corresponding first terminals 1404 offirst and second packages as described above, in this embodiment, thelengths of the electrical connections through the circuit panel betweenpairs of electrically connected second terminals 1406 of the first andsecond packages can be significantly reduced, in that the terminals ineach of these pairs of electrically connected second terminals mayoverlie one another, or at least be aligned within one ball pitch of oneanother in orthogonal x and y directions parallel to the circuit panelsurface. Moreover, benefits similar to those described above forreducing stub lengths and simplifying the construction of a circuitpanel for the connections between the first and second packages may beobtained when the second terminals of a microelectronic package arearranged in this way, i.e., terminals which can be assigned to carrysignals other than the above-noted signals of the command-address bus.

FIG. 20 illustrates a particular arrangement of terminals withinrespective first grids 1474, 1484, and second grids 1476, 1486 of thepackage 1480, illustrating a staggered arrangement in which terminals atthe same relative vertical position in adjacent columns 1438, 1439 ineach grid may be disposed at positions which are offset from one anotherin the vertical layout direction 1434 of the package.

FIG. 21 illustrates a particular arrangement of first terminals in firstand second parallel grids 1478, 1488 on a microelectronic package, inwhich each grid includes three adjacent columns of terminals. Asmentioned above, in some embodiments, it may be possible for signalsother than the above-noted command-address bus signals to be assigned toterminals within the same grids which also carry the above-notedcommand-address bus signals. Other arrangements may also be provided inwhich each of a pair of grids 1478, 1488 having mirror image signalassignments as described above has four columns of terminals rather thantwo or three.

In a further variation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-18, it ispossible for the first terminals arranged to carry the above-notedcommand-address bus signals to be provided in first and secondindividual columns of terminals, wherein each respective individualcolumn contains a set of first terminals configured to carry all of theabove-noted command address bus signals. The first terminals can furtherbe arranged such that the signal assignments in the first and secondcolumns are a mirror image of each other, in that the signal assignmentsare symmetric about an axis extending in the same direction in which thefirst and second columns extend. In this way, the signal assignments ofthe first terminals in the first column are the same as the signalassignments of the first terminals at the same relative verticalpositions in the second column on the package.

FIG. 22 illustrates a microelectronic package 1490 according to yetanother variation in which microelectronic elements 1401, 1403 arevertically stacked assemblies of semiconductor chips. Thus, as seen inFIG. 22, one or more of the microelectronic elements 1401, 1403 caninclude a first semiconductor chip 1451 having a contact-bearing face1431 facing away from the substrate 1402, and contacts 1436 on the face1431 wire-bonded to substrate contacts on the substrate 1402 asdescribed relative to FIGS. 16-18 above. In one example, a secondsemiconductor chip 1453 of such microelectronic element can havecontacts 1455 facing corresponding contacts 1445 of the firstsemiconductor chip 1451 and be joined thereto, such as throughelectrically conductive bumps, e.g., a bond metal, as described above.

In other variations, one or more of the microelectronic elements 1401,1403 in the package 1490 can be constructed as described above withreference to FIG. 10, 11-12, 13, 14 or 15.

FIG. 23 illustrates a microelectronic package 1500 according to avariation of the above-described embodiment of FIGS. 16-18 in whichfirst, second, third and fourth microelectronic elements 1501, 1503,1505 and 1507 are incorporated therein. The package further depicts fourgrids 1514, 1524, 1534, 1544 of first terminals assigned to carry theabove-noted signals of the command-address bus. As in theabove-described example, each grid of first terminals can beelectrically connected with just one of the microelectronic elements, orcan be connected to two or more of the microelectronic elements. FIG. 23illustrates one possible arrangement of the package 1500 showing thegrids 1514, 1524, 1534, and 1544 of first terminals and one possiblearrangement of grids 1516, 1526, 1536, and 1546 of second terminals.

As shown in FIG. 23, each of the microelectronic elements typically hastwo “long” parallel edges 1510, which extend in the same direction asthe direction in which the one or more columns of contacts on themicroelectronic element extend, as described above relative to FIGS. 6B,6C, 6D, and 7A. In one example, these “long” edges may each be longerthan two short parallel edges 1512 of each microelectronic element. Inanother example, these “long” edges 1510 may merely extend in the samedirection as the one or more columns of contacts, while in fact beingshorter than the “short” edges 1512 of the same microelectronic element.References to the “long” and “short” edges of microelectronic elementsin each of the packages described below incorporate these definitions.

As further seen in FIG. 23, in this particular variation, two of thegrids 1524, 1534 can be disposed close to a centerline 1530 of thepackage separating microelectronic elements 1503, 1505, while the othergrids 1514, 1544 can be disposed near peripheral edges 1550, 1552 of thepackage.

FIG. 24 is a plan view illustrating a package 1560 according to avariation of that shown in FIG. 23, in which the positions of the gridsof the first terminals on the package are varied. In this case, viewingthe differences between package 1560 and package 1500 of FIG. 23, theposition of the grid 1534 within package 1560 is exchanged with theposition of the grid 1536 of second terminals, such that the grid 1536is now disposed between the grids 1524, 1534 of the first terminals. Inaddition, the position of the grid 1544 within the package 1560 isexchanged with the position of the grid 1546 of second terminals, suchthat the grid 1546 is now disposed between the grids 1534, 1544 of thefirst terminals.

FIG. 25 is a plan view illustrating a package 1570 according to anothervariation of that shown in FIG. 23, in which the positions of the gridsof the first terminals are varied. In this case, viewing the differencesbetween package 1570 and package 1500 of FIG. 23, the position of thegrid 1524 of first terminals within the package 1570 is exchanged withthe position of the grid 1526 of second terminals, such that the grid1524 is now disposed between and adjacent to grids 1514, 1526. Inaddition, the position of the grid 1534 within the package 1570 isexchanged with the position of the grid 1536 of second terminalsrelative to that shown in FIG. 23, such that the grid 1534 is nowdisposed between and adjacent to grids 1536, 1544.

FIG. 26 is a plan view illustrating a package 1600 according to afurther variation of the above-described embodiment of FIGS. 16-18 inwhich first, second, third and fourth microelectronic elements 1601,1603, 1605, 1607 are arranged in a matrix on the substrate, wherein eachmicroelectronic element has parallel first edges 1610 which extend in afirst direction 1620, and parallel second edges 1612 which extend in asecond direction 1622 parallel to the first surface 1408 (FIG. 17) ofthe substrate and transverse to the first direction, such as orthogonalto the first direction 1620. The first edges 1610 may be “long edges”when such edges represent a dimension of a length of the respectivemicroelectronic element, and the second edges 1612 may be “short edges”when such edges represent a dimension of the respective microelectronicelement which is shorter than the length. Alternatively, the secondedges 1612 may be “long edges” when such edges represent a dimension ofa length of the respective microelectronic element, and the first edges1610 may be “short edges” when such edges represent a dimension of therespective microelectronic element which is shorter than the length.

As seen in FIG. 26, the microelectronic elements can be arranged withthe first edges 1610 of microelectronic elements 1601, 1603 adjacent andparallel to one another. The first edges 1610 of microelectronicelements 1605, 1607 can be adjacent and parallel to one another, aswell. The microelectronic elements are also arranged such that onesecond edge 1612 of microelectronic element 1601 is adjacent andparallel to the second edge 1612 of the other microelectronic element1607, and one second edge 1612 of microelectronic element 1603 isadjacent and parallel to one second edge 1612 of the othermicroelectronic element 1605. Each of the first edges 1610 ofmicroelectronic element 1601 can in some cases be collinear with thefirst edges 1610 of microelectronic element 1607. Likewise, each of thefirst edges 1610 of microelectronic element 1603 can in some cases becollinear with the first edges 1610 of microelectronic element 1605.

Grids 1651, 1653, 1655, 1657 of second terminals, which may overlieportions of respective microelectronic elements 1601, 1603, 1605, 1607and are electrically connected therewith, can have terminals disposed inany suitable arrangement, there being no requirement to place thesesecond terminals in grids in which the signal assignments in any one ofthe grids 1651, 1653, 1655, or 1657 are a mirror image of the signalassignments of the terminals in any one of the other grids 1651, 1653,1655, or 1657.

In a particular example, the signal assignments of the second terminalsin any one of the grids 1651, 1653, 1655, or 1657 can be a mirror imageof the signal assignments of the second terminals in one or two otherones of the grids 1651, 1653, 1655, or 1657, in that the signalassignments of any one of the grids can be symmetric about a verticalaxis 1680 in a vertical layout direction parallel to the substratesurface 1602 with respect to the signal assignments of another grid.Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the signal assignments of any oneof the grids can be symmetric about a horizontal axis 1682 with respectto the signal assignments of another grid.

For example, as shown in FIG. 26, the signal assignments of grid 1651are symmetric about the vertical axis 1680 with respect to the signalassignments of the grid 1653, where the vertical axis 1680 extends in avertical layout direction 1620 which in the example shown is between thegrids 1651 and 1653. Also, the signal assignments of the grid 1651 aresymmetric about the horizontal axis 1682 with respect to the signalassignments of the grid 1657, where the horizontal axis 1682 can extendin a horizontal layout direction 1622, which in the example shown isbetween the grids 1651 and 1657. In an alternative arrangement, each ofthe grids 1651 and 1657 may extend to portions of the substrate surfaceon both sides of the horizontal axis 1682, and the relationshipsdescribed above can otherwise be present. Similarly, such arrangementmay exist for grids 1653 and 1655.

In the particular example shown in FIG. 26, the signal assignments ofthe grids 1651 and 1657 are symmetric about the vertical axis 1680 withrespect to the signal assignments of the respective grids 1653 and 1655.Also, the signal assignments of the grids 1651 and 1653 are symmetricabout the horizontal axis with respect to the signal assignments of therespective grids 1657 and 1655.

FIG. 27 is a plan view illustrating a microelectronic package 1700according to another variation of the above-described embodiment (FIG.23), in which the first edges 1710 of first and second microelectronicelements 1701, 1703 extend in a first direction 1720 parallel to thefirst peripheral edges 1740 of the terminal-bearing substrate surface1704, and where the second edges 1712 of microelectronic elements 1701,1703 extend in a second direction 1722 parallel to the terminal-bearingsurface 1704 of the substrate. The package 1700 further includes thirdand fourth microelectronic elements 1705, 1707. However, the first edges1730 of the third and fourth microelectronic elements 1705, 1707 extendin the second direction 1722, and the second edges 1732 of the third andfourth microelectronic elements 1705, 1707 extend in the first direction1720. As further seen in FIG. 27, first and second grids 1714, 1724 offirst terminals configured to carry the above-noted command-address bussignals, can be provided in a central region of the substrate surface,away from the substrate's first and second peripheral edges 1740, 1742where the signal assignments in the second grid 1724 are a mirror imageof the signal assignments in the first grid 1714, as described above. Inone example as shown in FIG. 27, the first and second grids 1714, 1724of first terminals may be disposed between adjacent first edges 1710 ofthe first and second microelectronic elements 1701, 1703 and may overlieportions of the third and fourth microelectronic elements 1705, 1707.Grids of second terminals 1751, 1753, 1755, 1757 may at least partiallyoverlie respective microelectronic elements 1701, 1703, 1705, 1707 towhich the second terminals therein electrically connect. As seen in FIG.27, the signal assignments of the second terminals in grid 1753 can be amirror image of the signal assignments of the second terminals in thegrid 1751. The mirror image signal assignments of terminals in grids1714, 1724, and grids 1751, 1753 may permit the above-describedreduction in stub lengths in a circuit panel to be achieved when twopackages 1700 of like configurations are mounted opposite one another onopposite surfaces of the circuit panel.

Grids 1755, 1757 of second terminals, which may overlie portions ofmicroelectronic elements 1705, 1707 and are electrically connectedtherewith, can have terminals disposed in any suitable arrangement,there being no requirement to place these second terminals in grids inwhich the signal assignments in one of the grids 1755 are a mirror imageof the signal assignments of the terminals in the other grid 1757.However, in a particular example, the signal assignments of the secondterminals in a grid 1755 can be a mirror image of the signal assignmentsof the second terminals in another grid 1757, in that the signalassignments can be symmetric about an axis 1735 extending in a direction1722 between grids 1755 and 1758. In this case, there can be symmetryabout an axis 1735 extending in the horizontal direction of FIG. 27 forthese second terminals in the grids 1755, 1757.

Moreover, such configuration can be provided in a microelectronicpackage in which symmetries in the signal assignments between the gridsof first terminals or between the other grids 1751, 1753 of secondterminals may optionally be provided. As further illustrated in FIG. 17,the terminals in grids 1755, 1757 may have one or more of the signalclass symmetry or modulo-X symmetry as described above with reference toFIG. 5A.

FIG. 27 further illustrates that one or more buffer elements 1750 can beprovided as a microelectronic element disposed in a central region ofthe package 1700 between adjacent edges 1730, 1710 of the first, second,third and fourth microelectronic elements 1701, 1703, 1705, and 1707.Each such buffer element can be used to provide signal isolation betweenterminals of the package, particularly for the above-noted commandaddress bus signals received at the first terminals of the package, andone or more of the microelectronic elements in the package. The one ormore buffer elements regenerate signals received at the first terminals,or received at the second terminals, and transfers the regeneratedsignals to one or more of the microelectronic elements in the package.

Alternatively or in addition thereto, the area of the substrate 1702between the adjacent edges 1710, 1730 of the microelectronic elementsmay permit one or more decoupling capacitors to be provided on or in thepackage which are connected to internal power supply or ground buses ofthe package.

FIG. 28 illustrates a variation of the embodiment seen in FIG. 27, inwhich the positions of the first and second grids 1714, 1724 can bevaried so as to overlie at least portions of the first and secondmicroelectronic elements 1701, 1703. In such case, the positions of thethird and fourth microelectronic elements 1705, 1707 may also changesuch that portions of first edges 1730 of the third and fourthmicroelectronic elements 1705, 1707 may be moved away from the center ofthe package. In this case, the first edges 1730 of the third and fourthmicroelectronic elements are parallel to and are spaced apart fromportions of the second edges 1712 of the first and secondmicroelectronic elements in direction 1720. As a result, an amount ofarea 1760 at the center of the package that is available for connectionof one or more buffer elements or decoupling capacitors, or other devicemay be greater than that shown in FIG. 27. FIG. 28 also illustrates anarrangement in which the signal assignments of second terminals disposedwithin grids adjacent first and second edges 1736, 1738 of the substratecan exhibit symmetry about an axis (not shown) extending in a firstdirection 1720 parallel to edges 1736, 1738. Alternatively, or inaddition thereto, the signal assignments of second terminals disposedwithin grids adjacent third and fourth edges 1737, 1739 of the substratecan exhibit symmetry about an axis (not shown) extending in a seconddirection transverse to the first direction 1720, e.g., which can beparallel to the third and fourth edges 1737, 1739.

FIG. 29 illustrates a microelectronic package 1800 according to avariation of the above-described embodiment (FIG. 28). In thisvariation, the microelectronic elements 1801, 1803, 1805, 1807 arearranged in a pinwheel-like configuration in which the first edges 1810of microelectronic elements 1801, 1803 extend in the same direction 1820as the second edges 1830 of microelectronic elements 1805, 1807. Inaddition, the first edges 1830 of microelectronic elements 1805, 1808extend in the same direction 1822 as the second edges 1812 of themicroelectronic elements 1801, 1803. A portion of one of the first edgesof microelectronic element 1801 is spaced apart from and parallel to aportion of one of the second edges 1830 of microelectronic element 1807.Similarly, a portion of the one of the first edges of microelectronicelement 1805 is spaced apart from and parallel to one of the secondedges of microelectronic element 1801. These relationships can berepeated within the package for a portion of one of the first edges 1810of microelectronic element 1803 and a portion of one of the second edges1830 of microelectronic element 1805, as well as for a portion of one ofthe first edges of microelectronic element 1807 and a portion of one ofthe second edges of microelectronic element 1803.

In addition, it is further seen that there is a plane 1840 normal to thesubstrate which contains one of the first edges 1810 of microelectronicelement 1801, and which intersects the first edge 1830 of anothermicroelectronic element 1805. Similarly, there is a plane 1842 normal tothe substrate which contains one of the first edges 1830 ofmicroelectronic element 1805, and which intersects the first edge 1810of another microelectronic element 1803. From an inspection of FIG. 29,it can be seen that a similar plane which contains one of the firstedges of microelectronic element 1807 will intersect the first edge ofmicroelectronic element 1801 and a similar plane which contains one ofthe first edges of microelectronic element 1803 will intersect the firstedge of microelectronic element 1807. The package can be constructed sothat the planes containing a first edge of one microelectronic elementintersect a first edge of at most one other microelectronic elementwithin the package.

FIG. 29 further illustrates that the grids 1814, 1824 of first terminalshaving mirror image signal assignments may each partially or fullyoverlie one or more of the microelectronic elements in the package 1800.The signal assignments within the grids containing first terminals andthe grids containing second terminals can be as described above relativeto FIG. 27 or 28. In addition, a central area 1850 of the substratewhich is disposed between adjacent edges 1810, 1832 of themicroelectronic elements, and over which none of the faces of themicroelectronic elements is disposed, may accommodate one or more bufferelements or decoupling capacitors or both as described above relative toFIGS. 27-28.

FIG. 30 illustrates a microelectronic package according to a variationof the microelectronic package 1570 described above with respect to FIG.25 which includes three microelectronic elements 1901A, 1902B, and 1902Cspaced apart from one another on the substrate 1902 instead of fourmicroelectronic elements. As the case with the first and second grids1514, 1524, and the third and fourth grids 1534, 1544 in the embodimentseen in FIG. 25, the signal assignments of the first terminals in thefirst grid 1914 of the package 1900 can be a mirror image of the signalassignments of the first terminals in the second grid 1924. Moreover,the same can also be true of the signal assignments of the firstterminals in a third grid 1934 of the package 1900, which can be amirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals in afourth grid 1944. In addition, as seen in FIG. 30, in a particularexample, the first grid 1914 may overlie the first microelectronicelement 1901A, while the second grid 1924 may overlie the secondmicroelectronic element 1901B. As further seen in FIG. 30, the thirdgrid 1934 may overlie the third microelectronic element 1901C. Thefourth grid 1944 may overlie a portion of a surface of the substrate1902 beyond an edge 1942 of the third microelectronic element 1901C, asseen in FIG. 30. Alternatively, although not shown, the fourth grid 1944may also overlie the third microelectronic element 1901C.

The microelectronic packages and microelectronic assemblies describedabove with reference to FIGS. 5 through 30 above can be utilized inconstruction of diverse electronic systems, such as the system 2500shown in FIG. 31. For example, the system 2500 in accordance with afurther embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of modules orcomponents 2506 such as the microelectronic packages and/ormicroelectronic assemblies as described above in conjunction with otherelectronic components 2508, 2510 and 2511.

In the exemplary system 2500 shown, the system can include a circuitpanel, motherboard, or riser panel 2502 such as a flexible printedcircuit board, and the circuit panel can include numerous conductors2504, of which only one is depicted in FIG. 31, interconnecting themodules or components 2506, 2508, 2510 with one another. Such a circuitpanel 2502 can transport signals to and from each of the microelectronicpackages and/or microelectronic assemblies included in the system 2500.However, this is merely exemplary; any suitable structure for makingelectrical connections between the modules or components 2506 can beused. Thus, in a particular embodiment, a riser panel 2502 can provideelectrical interconnection with a plurality of modules ormicroelectronic assemblies each of which includes at least onemicroelectronic package and a circuit panel.

In a particular embodiment, the system 2500 can also include a processorsuch as the semiconductor chip 2508, such that each module or component2506 can be configured to transfer a number N of data bits in parallelin a clock cycle, and the processor can be configured to transfer anumber M of data bits in parallel in a clock cycle, M being greater thanor equal to N.

In one example, the system 2500 can include a processor chip 2508 thatis configured to transfer thirty-two data bits in parallel in a clockcycle, and the system can also include four modules 2506 such as themicroelectronic package 100 described with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C,each module 2506 configured to transfer eight data bits in parallel in aclock cycle (i.e., each module 2506 can include first and secondmicroelectronic elements, each of the two microelectronic elements beingconfigured to transfer four data bits in parallel in a clock cycle).

In another example, the system 2500 can include a processor chip 2508that is configured to transfer sixty-four data bits in parallel in aclock cycle, and the system can also include four modules 2506 such asthe microelectronic package described with reference to any one of FIGS.23-29, each module 2506 configured to transfer sixteen data bits inparallel in a clock cycle (i.e., each module 2506 can include fourmicroelectronic elements, each of the four microelectronic elementsbeing configured to transfer four data bits in parallel in a clockcycle).

In the example depicted in FIG. 31, the component 2508 is asemiconductor chip and component 2510 is a display screen, but any othercomponents can be used in the system 2500. Of course, although only twoadditional components 2508 and 2511 are depicted in FIG. 31 for clarityof illustration, the system 2500 can include any number of suchcomponents.

Modules or components 2506 and components 2508 and 2511 can be mountedin a common housing 2501, schematically depicted in broken lines, andcan be electrically interconnected with one another as necessary to formthe desired circuit. The housing 2501 is depicted as a portable housingof the type usable, for example, in a cellular telephone or personaldigital assistant, and screen 2510 can be exposed at the surface of thehousing. In embodiments where a structure 2506 includes alight-sensitive element such as an imaging chip, a lens 2511 or otheroptical device also can be provided for routing light to the structure.Again, the simplified system shown in FIG. 31 is merely exemplary; othersystems, including systems commonly regarded as fixed structures, suchas desktop computers, routers and the like can be made using thestructures discussed above.

Various features of the above-described embodiments of the invention canbe combined in ways other than as specifically described above withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the invention. It is intended forthe present disclosure to cover all such combinations and variations ofembodiments of the invention described above.

1. A microelectronic package, comprising: a substrate having first andsecond opposed surfaces, and having a plurality of substrate contactsexposed at the first surface; a microelectronic element having memorystorage array function, the microelectronic element having a rear facefacing the first surface, a front face opposite the rear face, andcontacts on the front face electrically connected with the substratecontacts through conductive structure extending above the front face; aplurality of terminals exposed at the second surface configured forconnecting the microelectronic package with at least one componentexternal to the package, the terminals electrically connected with thesubstrate contacts and including a plurality of first terminals, thefirst terminals including a first set thereof disposed on a first sideof a theoretical axis and a second set thereof disposed on a second sideof the axis opposite from the first side, each of the first and secondsets being configured to carry address information usable by circuitrywithin the package to determine an addressable memory location fromamong all the available addressable memory locations of the memorystorage array, wherein the signal assignments of the first terminals inthe first set are a mirror image of the signal assignments of the firstterminals in the second set.
 2. A microelectronic package, comprising: asubstrate having first and second opposed surfaces, and a plurality ofsubstrate contacts exposed at the first surface; a microelectronicelement having memory storage array function and including a pluralityof stacked electrically interconnected semiconductor chips, themicroelectronic element having a rear face facing the first surface, afront face of at least one of the semiconductor chips facing away fromthe rear face, and contacts on the front face of the at least onesemiconductor chip electrically connected with the substrate contactsthrough conductive structure extending above such front face; aplurality of terminals exposed at the second surface configured forconnecting the microelectronic package with at least one componentexternal to the package, the terminals electrically connected with thesubstrate contacts and including a plurality of first terminals, thefirst terminals including a first set thereof disposed on a first sideof a theoretical axis and a second set thereof disposed on a second sideof the axis opposite from the first side, each of the first and secondsets being configured to carry address information usable by circuitrywithin the package to determine an addressable memory location fromamong all the available addressable memory locations of a memory storagearray of the microelectronic element, wherein signal assignments of thefirst terminals in the first set are a mirror image of signalassignments of the first terminals in the second set.
 3. Amicroelectronic assembly, comprising: a circuit panel having first andsecond opposed surfaces and first and second panel contacts exposed atthe first and second surfaces, respectively; and first and secondmicroelectronic packages each having terminals mounted to the respectivepanel contacts, each microelectronic package including: a substratehaving first and second opposed surfaces and a plurality of substratecontacts exposed at the first surface; a microelectronic element havingmemory storage array function , the microelectronic element having arear face facing the first surface, a front face opposite the rear face,and contacts on the front face electrically connected with the substratecontacts through conductive structure extending above the front face, aplurality of terminals exposed at the second surface configured forconnecting the microelectronic package with at least one componentexternal to the package, the terminals electrically connected with thesubstrate contacts and including a plurality of first terminalsincluding a first set thereof disposed on a first side of a theoreticalaxis and a second set thereof disposed on a second side of the axisopposite from the first side, the first terminals of each set beingconfigured to carry address information usable by circuitry within thepackage to determine an addressable memory location from among all theavailable addressable memory locations of a memory storage array of themicroelectronic element, wherein the signal assignments of the firstterminals in the first set are a mirror image of the signal assignmentsof the first terminals in the second set.